History

The rudiments of the Fostoria Community Band began in the fall of 1994 when several people gathered in Dell’s Restaurant and discussed the possibility of forming a band. Present were Jerry Matz, Edson Smith, Don Guernsey and Carol Reffner. Jerry did all of the work of getting the Masonic Temple lined up for the first practice and gathering the music to be used. All persons present began making phone calls to locate interested musicians for the first practices. The first rehearsal was in January of 1995 with the following people present as its original members: Dave Zoll, Jerry Matz, Jim Reffner, Carol Reffner, Don Guernsey, Edson Smith, Jerry Hoffman and Sue Bartunek. Under the direction of Dave Zoll, the performances of the band that summer included Memorial Day, July 4th, Glass Festival, City Building Lawn and a concert at Gray Park.

Membership in the band grew as the months passed. In September, the band, under the direction of Don Perrine moved to Fostoria High School to prepare for the holiday concert. This concert was held at Wesley United Methodist Church with 41 members participating. A small group also rode a float and played carols in the streets of Fostoria as a part of the holiday parade.

Joe Sheak took over as principal director in 1996. The band continued with a holiday concert, spring concert, Memorial Day participation, several area summer concerts, and a one-time concert at Put-in-Bay.

In the fall of 2005, Paul Reed assumed the directorship and the rehearsals moved to Fostoria Intermediate Elementary School. Paul directed the band through spring of 2006. He was followed in 2006 by Jarrod Koskoski, who directed the band through June of 2013. Justin Brinkman, then director of bands at Elmwood Schools, became the director of FCB in September of 2013 and continued through June of 2016. Tom Schetter and Jeff Buchanan served as interim directors during the fall of 2016.

In January of 2017, Craig McKenzie became the director and served in that capacity until the band became inactive due to the COVID Pandemic, March 2020, thereby cancelling the 25th anniversary concert. That band direcetor then moved out of the area, and the board began the search for a new director that summer. Phil Miller, also the director of bands at Carey Exempted Village Schools, Carey, Ohio, became the director. Band rehearsals and performances did not continue, due to COVID, until Memorial Day, 2021. Following Memorial Day, there was no other band activity until rehearsals resumed in September 2021 and a holiday concert was held in December. Phil Miller now serves as band director.