City Band playing in Commons Park.

City of Lake Mills

City Band contacts

 City Band Director Pat Doyle at: (920) 648-6320

City Band President Lisa Vandre at: (920) 945-0183

2010 concert dates: June 16, June 23, June 30, July 14th & 28th, August 4th

The band plays the concerts in Commons Park at 7pm.

The band will be playing the June 23rd concert in the Community Center.

"The Lake Mills City Band celebrates 50 years of service by band member Mike
Bade (left) with a Gold Plated Tuba Mouthpiece commemorating the occasion.
Mike started playing with the City Band in 7th grade.  Over the years Mike
has held various band offices as well as directing.  "We are fortunate to
have Mike in our organization", commented current Director Patrick Doyle.
"He is a wonderful musician and friend".
 

Story of the first Lake Mills band by L. D. Fargo

    "In the long ago when the mound city, Aztalan, of lost opportunities, had begun to wane, and our little berg was scarce out of swaddling clothes, our people thought to have a ideal town, they must have a band. Our townsmen subscribed enough to pay for instruments, and the band was soon organized. It was the first brass band in Jefferson County, of which I became a member during the winter of 1846. If so disposed we could do as much blowing as our neighbors. In one respect, if no more, we could outdo them; we could toot the loudest.

"Madison as yet, had but one brass band, and to be fully up to Madison was something of an achievement.

    " We were liberal with our melodies. Sometimes, in our rounds of the village triangle we were told that we had better stop our noise and let people sleep, but we were generally greeted with good cheer. There was one place where the latch string was ever out. It was a little ways out around the lake at Carmichael's. Here we were always welcome, and the best the house afforded was dispensed. I was told that Col. Carmichael was foremost in getting up the band, advancing the purchase money and paying liberally himself, and it was he who made the presentation speech to the boys using the steps of Bartlett's Hotel for a rostrum. Like other builders, no flowers for his grave.

      "All went well with us. We had our cotillion band for dances. Ere the spring of '46 had come we could toot to the satisfaction of almost any gathering of those pioneer days. We, too, were a jolly set, ever ready for fun. Though not always invited, we regarded it as a duty to serenade returned friends, birthday and wedding parties, hence we were ever ready, and on the lookout for such occasions.

  "It had come to us, some way, that our winter school master and a pioneer girl living four miles south were burning candles quite often, until the wee small hours of the night. The sequel would be our opportunity. I, with others had taken part in an exhibition at the close of the winter term, hence our social relations were cordial. The nuptial knot was to be tied on the anniversary of the intended bride's birthday. Our opportunity had come at last. To get the band together without previous notice was not so easy. In our dilemma we concluded that what we lacked of the band we would make up of outsiders.

"After the spring rains had come the wild flowers and grasses shot up and the young leaves were reclothing the old oaks. Nature herself seemed joyful.

"It was a lovely moonlight night, save an occasional fleecy cloud, to cast a creeping shadow, and again send forth its silvery rays more brilliant.

  "The pioneer had, as yet, done but little to change the primitive wildness outside the little hamlets in this portion of the west. Animated nature seemed in dreamland, save now and then a distant hoo! hoo! All else seemed still with that stillness that hangs over the landscape unheeded by civilized life.

  "At last our driver halted and helped us to unload. We gathered up the instruments and made our way toward the gleaming lights. A rail fence surrounded the dwelling. Our line was formed outside the fence, some distance from the house. Each with his instrument in hand waited the signal. Bang, went the gun! If the gates of the infernal regions had been broken down, pandemonium let loose, the shock could not have been greater to the wedding party. Sooner than I can write the particulars, out came the the bride and groom, the quests following, waving handkerchiefs, bidding us good cheer, and inviting us in to the feast. Our charivari was played out. We were sold. After righting our coats, a new spirit came over us. We played our sweetest melodies for the gratification of our winter school master, Mr. Royce, his bride and the guests. After wishing the happy couple much joy, and a pleasant voyage over the sea of life, and feasting on the good things provided for the occasion, we bestowed our best wishes, and with a hearty good night and the melody of 'Home Sweet Home' made our way back to Lake Mills, meditating upon our cordial reception, but as my friend Henry says, 'ashamed of the pandemonium then, and ever have been since.' This was our first and last charivari."

L. D. Fargo

The City Band plays in the Community Center if the weather is bad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44-SLa3P-Yw