Bringing Live Music to Central and Southern Delaware
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Our History
"Start a Community Band!"
The Milford Community Band's founder Joe Lear (pictured above) began attending Wesley College in the Fall of 1986. During this time Joe was involved with the Wesley Jazz Band. Then during the fall of 1989, Joe began to volunteer with Gerald "Gerry" Thompson, who was then the director of the Milford High School Band. While working with Gerry, Joe stated that he no longer had a place to play his instrument. It was at that moment that Gerry gave Joe the idea to start a community band for the Milford Area.
Earliest Members
In order to find a location to practice, Joe reached out to his church to use their choir room on Tuesday evenings. Joe borrowed some music from Gerry for the group to play, and put a notice in the Milford Chronicle to get new members.
All in all 16 people answered Joe's original notice and the first rehearsal was in mid February 1990. Pictured at right are the 4 remaining original members of the band: founder Joe Lear, trumpeter Tony Perrone, flutist Margie Newnom, and trumpeter Bill Mayhew. The band was originally called the Milford Adult Community Band. As more members joined, including some high school students, the band dropped the word 'Adult' and became known simply as the Milford Community Band
Finding a Permanent Rehearsal Space
The Milford Community Band's original practice facility was the Avenue United Methodist Church in Milford. By 2005 the Milford Community Band was renting space from the Kiwanis Club at its building at 315 Claude Street in Milford. Then in 2008, the Kiwanis Club relocated and the Milford Community Band was able to purchase the building.