CORONADO CONCERT BAND PHOTOS
The Die Hards, consisting of former CHS band members, marched in the Fourth of July parade from 1992 to 1999.
the Arts (CoSA); holiday concerts at the Hotel Del Coronado; summer twilight concerts at Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park; performances at the dedication of the Coronado Community Center in 2005; the Coronado Library’s 100th anniversary celebration; the City of Coronado’s 150th anniversary; and the Special Olympics Torch Run that came through town in 2015. They performed in the Coronado Concert in the Park every summer for 15 years, and after a several-year hiatus, they’ll return this summer to open one of the popular Sunday concerts. Today, there are about 40 people in the band (many of the original Die Hards included), with a member as young as 13 and others in their 90s. The group is open to anyone who wants to play or learn how to play, no audition required. They play everything from pop to musicals to classical pieces to popular film scores. Phil can play any low brass instrument but is best at the bass trombone and has the most fun playing the 34
CROWN CITY MAGAZINE
The band participated in the Holiday Bowl Parade in 1997.
Information The band rehearses from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursdays in the Coronado High School band room. Contact: (619) 435-1299 or coronadoconcertband.org
euphonium. He said it’s hard to choose his favorite song the band performs, but if he had to choose it would be John Williams’ The Raiders March. “We really nail that one,” he said. “And it’s a lot | MARCH 2020
of fun to play!” Phil said that what really makes Coronado Community Band special is how it brings together the community. “Community bands as an institution are a special thing. There were 10,000 at the turn of the century, and I really want to keep that tradition alive,” he said. “It’s such a worthwhile experience for audiences and players, young and old. There is a real sense of pride that comes with it. You look at the band and think ‘That’s our band!’ And I just want to keep the music going.”
