On Monday, March 23, the Johnson City Community Concert Band began a new chapter in its 2026 concert season under new full-time director, Mr. Timothy Loman. Loman, who also serves as the assistant director of athletic bands at ETSU, conducted his first official concert with the ensemble after a lengthy audition process beginning in October of last year.
The program, entitled “Spring Around the World,” ushered the audience through a musical journey through springtime across different cultures. Each piece featured a composer from a different country, some telling stories of their native country and others, stories of neighboring cultures, such as Prelude and Processional: a piece drawn from an English opera by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. Similarly, a Dutch composer’s work highlighted a region in Germany. The result was a concert that blended geography, history, and music in unexpected ways.
For Loman, the transition into the new role has been smooth after taking over the stand from his predecessor, Dr. Christian Zembower, director of Bands and Professor of Music at ETSU.
“Working with the community ensemble is a lot of fun for me because these are people who are professionals at what they do that’s not music,” said Loman. “The personalities are very interesting and enjoyable. They really appreciate the music-making opportunity because it’s something they’re choosing to do.”
This enthusiasm proved especially important during a rehearsal process that was anything but straightforward. The ensemble has been rehearsing on Monday nights since December of last year at Indian Trail Middle School, facing setbacks due to the intense winter weather East Tennessee faced earlier this year. Despite these obstacles, Loman and the ensemble successfully brought the program to life, performing for roughly 60 minutes.
A key aspect of the group’s current strength is the creation of a third curricular band at ETSU, which has seamlessly allowed students to perform alongside the community band. While recruitment efforts remained limited due to uncertainties surrounding the program’s structure, Lohman is confident participation will grow moving forward.
Students joining alongside the community band members create a unique makeup of musical backgrounds within the ensemble. While some have or are in the process of obtaining a degree in music, others participate purely for the love of creating music.
“I just want the group to play very high-quality literature and a good mix between traditional band music and some popular music,” said Loman. “They’ve got a great sense of what quality is. You’ve got to put a lot of different quality things in front of them so that you can make everybody happy.”
With four concerts a year, including a Memorial Day performance at Sycamore Shoals, the Johnson City Community Concert Band continues to serve as a cultural staple in the region.
