WAAC Culture Corner: Westport Community Band and Red, White, and Blue for July

Prepared by Diane Lowman, Westport’s Poet Laureate and WAAC Member

Welcome back to the Westport Local Press’s Westport Arts Advisory Committee’s “Culture Corner.” Each month, the WAAC scours our 33.45 square miles and highlight one of the many artists – visual, written, performance, and other – who call Westport home. These artists create a spectrum of color that shines over town like the rainbows often seen over the Saugatuck, so we have made “color” our theme.

For July, we break the rules just a bit in that we feature three colors: red, white, and blue as we celebrate the nation’s independence. And what better way to highlight artists in our community, than by paying tribute to a group that features many members of our community, and itself honors that community by sharing its talent in myriad venues and ways – most recently in the first post-pandemic Memorial Day Parade. The Westport Community Band (https://westportcommunityband.com/) has been a fixture in our town since 1977.

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I had the pleasure of speaking with Sal LaRusso who has directed the group for 32 years. He explained that the band consists of adult musicians from the area. They have a wide variety of “day jobs,” but share a love of music, and enjoy honing their skills while entertaining the community. LaRusso served as Weston schools’ Band Director for more than thirty years, and now stands at the helm of this volunteer group whose ages range from 20 to 80. In addition to honing their musical skills, the band aims to serve the community as much as possible. While appearing regularly at the Memorial Day Parade, July 4 Fireworks (sadly, not this year), and the Levitt Pavilion, they also perform for organizations like Purple Hearts, where they aim to give back to this population who have given so much to their country. They also have a program that allows middle school musicians to rehearse and performs with the band. This “Play with the Community Band” program has served over 500 local students.

LaRusso’s dedication and service has earned him the honor of being named the Grand Marshall in Weston’s Memorial Day parade as well as the deep respect and gratitude of band and community members alike. Local dentist and avid musician Richard Epstein says that “Sal is enthusiastic and skilled at challenging everyone in the band to improve.” Epstein, who is a professional bassoonist, chose to play saxophone for the band to glean experience with that instrument. He has rehearsed and played with the ensemble for over five years and says his playing has greatly benefited, and he hopes the band has as well.

Some of the group’s favorite songs to perform are: Robert Russell Bennett’s Suite of Old American Dances and Richard Rogers’s Victory at Sea – and anything by John Philip Sousa, of course. Normally they’d rehearse after school hours at the Bedford Middle School auditorium, but the pandemic has put a hold on that. As Covid-19 fades in Connecticut, LaRusso hopes that they can reunite for regular sessions together. They not only make beautiful music together, but they enjoy each other’s company, and many miss the social aspects of their meetings.

The town is lucky to have such a multi-faceted band in its midst. They exemplify not only the depth and breadth of artist that we have here in Westport, but the deep commitment to giving back to their community, and so we take our hats off to the Westport Community Band!

See the Westport Community Band perform at the Levitt Pavillion on Tuesday July 13, 7pm.