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Summer Season 2019 – June 28 – Cancelled Due to Current & Impending Weather!
June 28, 2019 @ 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Free
Medina Community Band will the fourth concert of the 2019 summer season, a celebration of 160 years (since 1859) of presenting community concerts in Medina, on Friday, June 28, 2019, in Medina’s Uptown Park Square Gazebo. Concerts will continue every Friday through Friday, July 26. A special July 4 concert is planned as well. There will be no concert on Friday, July 5. All concerts will begin at 8:30p.
Cancellation of concerts will be posted on the website as soon as the decision has been made. A “fan newsletter” will be sent to those individuals who have signed up to receive the newsletter.
The evening’s concert is dedicated to the memory of Medina Community Band member Sarah Nelson.
Cornetist Kevin Wallick, performing Herbert L. Clarke’s solo From the Shores of the Mighty Pacific and flutist Kristin Thompson, performing Gioachino Rossini’s La Pastorella delle Alpi will be featured on the evening’s concert. The ice cream social for June 28 will be sponsored by The Medina County Historical Society.
The Medina County Historical Society is working on an exciting project underway to raise funds to buy the McDowell-Phillips house (pictured below right). According 
to Brian Feron, president of the Medina County Historical Society, the house will provide additional space for the Society to display its extensive artifact collection as generations of donors intended. The home and surrounding grounds will also eventually serve as a new and unique venue for cultural and educational events as well as for community and private functions.
Under the baton of Marcus Neiman, the band will perform Jacques Offenbach’s overture to the opera La Belle Hélène; Astor Piazzolla’s tango Libertango; and, marches by Roland Seitz (Grandioso); Kenneth Alford (Colonel Bogey); and, John Philip Sousa (Bullets and Bayonets, and The Stars and Stripes Forever). Assistant conductor Matthew Hastings will conduct Kenneth Alford’s (Colonel Bogey) and Sousa’s Pathfinder of Panama.
As of June 1, the following featured soloist and ensembles will appear with Medina Community Band, subject to change:
Thursday, July 4 – Kevin Wallick, cornet soloist; Denise Milner Howell, mezzo-soprano voice; and, Sadie Nayman, flute solo.
Friday, July 19 – George Rosin, trombone soloist
Area social and civic groups will be featured as summer social hosts providing light refreshments at a reasonable donation during each concert: July 4 – Medina Breakfast Kiwanis Club; July 12 – Medina High School Band Boosters; July 19, Medina Lions Club; and, July 26 – Medina Creative Housing.
Medina Community Band is proudly sponsored and supported by the Medina Community Band Association, composed of members of Medina Community Band. The board of directors consists of Lu Ann Gresh, president; Amy Muhl, vice president; Gail Sigmund, financial secretary; Karen Sater, treasurer; Sue McLaughlin, secretary; with directors John Connors, Dr. Thomas Kenat, Robert Moore, and Kristin Thompson.
Membership in MCB is open and there are no dues or auditions; however, members are expected to maintain a regular attendance. The band rehearses on Wednesday evening from 7p – 9p in the orchestra room of Medina High School (777 East Union Street, Medina) during June and July; and September through the end of May rehearsing in the band room of Highland Middle School (3880 Ridge Road, Medina). The band also presents their popular summer series every Friday, June through July, in Medina’s Uptown Park Gazebo. Each year the band presents at a winter concert, spring concert, and the popular “Sousa Concert” at EHOVE Career Center (Milan, OH). For additional information on the 2019 concert season or Medina Community Band, contact Neiman at 330.725.8198 or MarcusNeiman@medinacommunityband.org.
In Memory – Sarah R. Nelson
April 20th, 1922 – March 22th, 2019
Sarah Nelson
Born April 20, 1922 in Akron to Barnett “Barney” and Mary Kodish, she was a graduate of Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University. Sarah was a founding member of the Akron Symphony Orchestra and Festive String Quartet as a violist. She was a longtime member of the Doctor’s Orchestra now known as the Akron Pops Orchestra and played cornet with the Goodyear Band, Medina Community Band and Brass Band of the Western Reserve. She retired from Barberton Citizens Hospital Pathology Lab as a medical transcriptionist.
Preceded in death by her parents; husband of 59 years, Milton; sister, Sylvia DeVries; brother, Daniel Kodish; brother-in-law, Max Nelson; sister-in-law, Elsie Pren; and son-in-law, John Kline, Jr.; she is survived by son, Dr. Richard (Susan) Nelson; daughters, Marcia Kline and Linda (Tim) Brown; grandchildren, Amanda (Robert), Leigh, Kimberly and Sondra; three great-grandsons; brother-in-law, Jim (Joan) Nelson; sisters-in-law, Frieda Gerin and Anna Mae Shepler; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Featured Soloists
Kristin Thompson, flute soloist
Kristin Thompson, flute soloist, is a 2017 graduate of The University of Akron with a Bachelor of Science Degree. in Biomedical Engineering. She works as a Clinical Research Coordinator for her Alma Mater in addition to being a Quality & Production Engineer for Yanke Bionics in downtown Akron. While she has grown up in Medina for 25 of her 26 years, she has spent much time abroad in Spain, Germany, and Italy. She has been devoted to music for over 15 years, beginning on flute in 2002 at age 9 and progressing into piccolo studies. Her principal teachers include Kyra Kester and Heidi Ruby-Kushious. Kristin is a 2012 alumna of Medina High School where she played in Symphony Band and the Medina Marching Band for all four years, the Symphony Orchestra for two, and played in the pit orchestra, in addition to making select appearances with the Medina Choirs. High school solo performances featured Kristin with the Stardusters jazz ensemble as well as the Symphony Orchestra, where she played Vivaldi’s Concerto for Flautino (piccolo). During her high school years, she was also a member of the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, the latter of which offered her performances alongside members of the Cleveland Orchestra flute section. While at The University of Akron, Kristin played in the Concert Band, Flute Choir, and Symphonic Band. Currently, she plays with the Akron Pops Orchestra. She has been a member of the Medina Community Band since 2015 and was recently appointed to the Medina Community Band Association, where she serves as Social Host Chair.
Kevin Wallick, cornet soloist, earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. He has been married to his wife, Kim, for 28 years, and they have one daughter, Amanda.
Kevin is the business manager for Wadsworth based CityLink. Prior to holding that position, he was with Frontier. He joined Frontier in 2010 as general manager in eastern Ohio and was based in New Philadelphia. He was promoted to area general manager for Mid-States in 2013 and subsequently became vice president for Mid-States, where he led the market to operational excellence and broadband growth.
Before joining Frontier, Wallick managed several stores for Best Buy, the large electronics and home automation and entertainment store. He also had a more than 20-year successful career as an executive for Sterling Jewelry Inc., which is home to nine brands of fine jewelry stores and is the nation’s largest retail jeweler. He is currently director of operations for Frontier Communications in Ohio.
Wallick, a lifelong Ohio resident, has played trumpet for over 40 years, he currently resides in North Canton, Ohio. He has been a member of Medina Community Band since 2016.