We hope you will join us for the opening of our 38th season of music and fun for the Lakeland area.

We begin with our annual Salute to Veterans concert, which will be held on November 13, 2016 at the Youkey Theatre at The Lakeland Center.  Doors open at 1:30, pre-show at 1:45, and the band concert begins at 2:30.

The concert will feature patriotic songs of many kinds: military service marches, music from the World War II documentary TV series Victory at Sea, American folk songs, and more. We’ll also recognize the 50th anniversary of Star Trek.

Flags from the military services of the United States and Canada will be presented by the Honor Guard and other cadets from the Civil Air Patrol of Florida Unit 274.

The pre-show will feature the return of singer Ken Brady. Ken was lead singer for The Casinos, a doo-wop group from Cincinnati. Their hit single “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” reached #6 in the Top 40. Ken performs in the central Florida area and nationwide.

Our concert is dedicated to the memory of Bruce Gillette, saxophone, and Rich Kantner, trombone. Bruce and Rich played with the band and the Music Ambassadors for many years. We will miss them!

In the lobby, cadets from the Florida Civil Air Patrol Unit 466 will be offering the purchase of wreaths that will be placed at the Florida National Cemetery in Bucknell, as part of the Wreaths Across America program.

Our Season Finale concert will be presented on Sunday, April 3 at the Branscomb Auditorium at Florida Southern College. Doors open at 1:15, pre-show at 1:45 and the band concert begins at 2:30.

The concert will feature music from The Eagles and Latin standards, Sousa marches and the Glenn Miller “St. Louis Blues” march, classical selections and a dancing frog. We’ll also have “Seventy-Six Trombones” and other great songs from “The Music Man”.

The pre-show presents Crystal Gage, a high-energy country music entertainer who performs over 200 shows per year at fairs, festivals, and other country music events all over North America.

Our St. Patrick’s Day concert will be presented on Sunday, March 20 at the Branscomb Auditorium at Florida Southern College. Doors open at 1:15, pre-show at 1:45 and the band concert begins at 2:30.

Come share the luck o’ the Irish at our March concert — a reel, a jig, and some Irish eyes smiling. The concert will also feature songs from the musical “Damn Yankees” and a bit o’ Elvis. We will be joined by Liane Marshall Black, who brings her special style to a Gershwin tune.

We hope to have silly St. Patrick’s Day hats for the second half of the concert. And in the first half, we’ll be playing “Easter Parade,” so if you have a new (or old) Easter bonnet, bring it along so you can join the parade! So many hats!

The pre-show features the return of The Sentimental Journeymen, a barbershop-style chorus based in Winter Haven.

Our next concert will be presented on Sunday, February 14 at the Branscomb Auditorium at Florida Southern College. Doors open at 1:15, pre-show at 1:45 and the band concert begins at 2:30.

The concert will feature songs for your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day. We will also have themes from “The Lion King” and “West Side Story”, famous marches, and more.

Our special guest for the pre-show will be Rich Wilson. Rich is a former Las Vegas and Atlantic City entertainer who has shared the stage with artists such as Willie Nelson, Billy Ray Cyrus, Toby Keith, The Platters, and many more. His unique vocal stylings bring back fond memories of yesteryear as he performs songs by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Dean Martin and more.

The Winter Concert will feature ballet music from several operas and songs from “The Phantom of the Opera.” We’ll also have music by The Association, a theme from “Star Wars,” a polka, and much more!

The pre-show will feature our very own Music Ambassadors of Swing dance band, as a preview for their upcoming public dance.

Our annual Christmas Concert will be presented on Sunday, December 13 at the Youkey Theatre at The Lakeland Center. Doors open at 1:15, pre-show at 1:45 and the band concert begins at 2:30.

The Christmas Concert will feature sleigh bells and jingle bells, a Christmas mambo, and Mannheim Steamroller carols. We will be joined by not one, but two wonderful vocalists — The Lady Z and Rebecca Renfroe.

Join us for traditional favorites and arrangements with a kick. Plus a chance for your kids and grandkids to join us on stage to direct the band!

We hope to see you there.

We hope you will join us for the opening of our 37th season of music and fun for the Lakeland area.

The annual Salute to Veterans concert will be held on November 15, 2015 at the Youkey Theatre at The Lakeland Center.  Doors open at 1:30, pre-show at 1:45, and the band concert begins at 2:30.

Cadets from the Lakeland High School JROTC will present our United States and Florida flags, as well as the individual military service flags from both the United States and Canada.

The pre-show will feature the return of singer Ken Brady. Ken was lead singer for The Casinos, a doo-wop group from Cincinnati. Their hit single “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” reached #6 in the Top 40. Ken Brady’s Casinos continue to perform hits from the 50s and 60s nationwide.

Dedicated to the memory of John Duarte and Al Gable. John and Al both played trumpet with the band for many years. We will miss them!