The band exists to promote musical arts in our communities by performing in a variety of public venue. The origin of the Fall Creek Valley Community Band dates back to the fall of 2000 when several Lapel High School band alumni surprised their former director, Greg Scott, by playing a tribute to him during the half time of a football game. The alumni enjoyed the experience so much that they decide
d to keep playing as a band with Greg Scott as the director, and the Lapel Community Band was born. Greg’s brother, Brad Scott, would occasionally step in as director so Greg could play tuba in the band. In the early days, the band membership hovered between fifteen and twenty musicians for a performance, but even then, they produced a good sound and received compliments for the quality of music. In the fall of 2003, Greg and Brad stepped down as directors of the Lapel Community Band due to their schedules in their professional roles. John Parshall, whose retirement was pending as the director of the Anderson Highlands High School band, agreed to become the new director and lead a successful Christmas concert with the thirty members. With John’s tireless recruiting efforts, the band grew to nearly seventy members. In 2016, John decided to retire the director’s baton, and Brian Swart took to the podium. The band continued to impress the community with its many performances, and then in 2018, Richard Hawk and Kim Stoneking stepped up as co-directors when Brian left to direct a neighboring community band. The Lapel Community Band celebrated its twenty years in 2020, but as many things in 2020, the grand celebration was postponed due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. When rehearsals and performances resumed in 2021, it was decided that the band should relocate to Pendleton with the promise of new growth; thus, the band was renamed the Fall Creek Valley Community Band and began rehearsals at Pendleton Heights Middle School in 2022, which has already proven to be a fruitful move. The Fall Creek Valley Community Band plans to continue supporting the Lapel community with performances and is excited for the future as an integral part of the Pendleton community. The Fall Creek Valley Community Band is always seeking new performance opportunities and new members. Maybe you never stopped playing or you haven’t looked at sheet music in a couple decades; dust off that instrument case and join us!
