Nineteenth century composer Gabriel Faure once said, “To me...music exists to elevate us as far as possible above everyday life.”

There is something special about hearing music live and there is no reason to leave our heavenly place of Placer Valley to hear it. We are lucky to have the Roseville Community Concert Band (RCCB) right here at home. This non-profit musical group has been playing in Roseville and South Placer County for the last decade.

For more than ten years, RCCB has been bringing joy and live acoustic music of all types to various events in our local area. Now in her fourth season, Musical Director and Conductor Stephanie Sugano has led RCCB. Along with her degrees in music, she has a life-long passion for music. “I love how music enriches someone’s life.” Sugano said, “What better way to share life with others.”

Based out of Roseville’s Cooley Middle School, this group of nearly 50 music-making volunteers has a variety of backgrounds, as their ages range from 14 to 92 years. Sugano is proud of the special relationship the members of her group enjoy. “Kids and seniors have an unspoken connection with each other,” she said, “because of their instruments.” She encourages this because each band member is a mentor to others. Some band members are retired professional musicians and some are kids with just a couple of years practice. Publicist Betsy Katz agrees, “With this balance, there is a constant improvement in musicianship.” Katz also credits Sugano for striking a balance between the diversity of abilities and challenging her musicians to play better. “Having Stephanie as our conductor,” Katz said, “is a real plus for all the volunteers.”

RCCB was recently rewarded for their efforts with a generous grant from the City of Roseville’s Citizens Benefit Fund. Stanford Hirata, past chair of the Roseville Grants Advisory Commission (group responsible for administrating the grants), appreciates the outstanding work of the band. “The Roseville Community Concert Band grant gave us an opportunity to support the local performing arts as well as contribute to a wonderful organization that does so much for our community,” Hirata says.

The grant money along with private donations and benefit shows keep the band going strong. These funds also support the band’s summertime Roseville Band Camp and pays for scholarships for many of the 50 attendees each year. The camp held each June invites those in grades 5-8 to come and play. “We take music seriously,” Sugano said, “and have fun at the same time.”

Not only does the band appeal to a variety of audiences but also it plays at a varying list of venues. One of those was at Roseville’s historic Royer Park during the 2010 season for The Performing Arts of Roseville’s “Music in the Parks” summer series. On October 23, 2010 at 1 p.m., indulge in a free concert performance by RCCB at Auburn’s Eisley’s Nursery, a long-time supporter and sponsor of the band.

For more information, visit rosevilleband.com.