Elkton Town Band's Mission/History/Current board of directors
Our Mission:
Our Mission:
The Elkton Town Band's mission is to provide a place for adult and student musicians to continue their musical involvement in a community atmosphere for the Cecil County, Maryland area.
We play a variety of music, from marches and show tunes to orchestral transcriptions and concertos. This is a wonderful avenue for adult musicians, who may have had difficulty continuing their musical interests past their school careers. Students who are proficient at the All-County level, and who are in at least the ninth grade are also encouraged to join us!
2026-2027 board directors
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Parker Ness - President
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Rob Hazel - Vice President/Librarian
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Sandy Kisner - Secretary
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Paul Humphrey - Treasurer
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Steve Olah -Webmaster
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Jay Dorsey
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Julie Falango
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Leah Geier
Our History:
The Elkton Town Band has a long and rich history. The group was formed as the Elkton Cornet Band in the 1880s by the Dunbar brothers, John, Rube and Jess, who were all Elkton blacksmiths. The band became associated with the newly-founded Singerly Fire Company soon after its inception. Practices were held in a back room of the Elkton Opera House.
After the Opera House was torn down, The Elkton Cornet Band moved to the fire hall. Through the years, the band and the fire company marched together as one unit and appeared in many parades, conventions and festivals across Maryland. Sometimes the group would parade at night with the way being lighted by torch-carrying firefighters.
The band played for the dedication of the monument at the Elkton Armory in 1921. In 1939, they played at the dedication of the Cecil County Courthouse, in Elkton.
In the early 1970s, the group disbanded. The only reason given was "high school marching bands became more prominent."*
Local musicians, music teachers and members of the community recognized a need to reinstate the band toward the end of the 1990s. As the late Robert Bunnell stated, "There is a need in the community for an outfit like this. A place where adults can continue playing after they're out of school." The band changed its name to the Elkton Town Band, and began rehearsing and performing at the Elkton High School. The band consisted of about 40 active members, including advanced music students to professional musicians.
In 2004, the Elkton Town Band held its first summer outdoor concert and awarded its first music scholarship, the William H. Lewis, Jr. Memorial Scholarship.
During the fall of 2007, the ETB began its season on a new stage. The Elkton High School's newly renovated auditorium offered theater seating for hundreds in the audience, and a professional, acoustically sound stage for concerts. The high school's new band room, also created for optimal sound quality, provided an upgraded location for the band's rehearsals.
Today, the band numbers approximately 55 active members from all ages and walks of life. We perform four concerts each year in October, December, February, and May. The concert schedule, as well as recent concert programs, can be found here on our website.
*(Note: Much of the above information was provided by the late Bob Bunnell, one of the ETB's founding members.)