Ensuring 'music forever' for Haywood: Haywood Community Band launches endowment campaign

May 15—Thousands of locals and visitors alike have enjoyed free concerts by the Haywood Community Band over the past two decades, and that legacy will continue for generations to come with the launch of an endowment campaign.

"The endowment will allow the band to grow the Haywood Community Band's offerings, increase student scholarships, and ensure that band performances in Haywood County will continue beyond our lifetimes," said Paul Draper, the band's treasurer.

From its beginnings 22 years ago, the Haywood Community Band has grown into a major music ensemble in Western North Carolina. More than 60 performers now present the sounds of high brass, woodwinds, low brass and percussion as the band stages nine free concerts for the community from May through November.

"We have band members from all over the country," said Rhonda Kram, band board president. "People that grew up here, young people and older people. Everybody can sit down and play together, even when they don't even know each other's names. They can read the music and follow the conductor and make music together. To me, that's just amazing," Kram said.

For the first time, the band has hired a conductor this season rather than relying on volunteers to conduct from within the ranks of the band. The new conductor, Steve Razo, said he feels fortunate to step up to the stage during such a pivotal time.

"The Haywood Community Band Endowment Campaign sends a signal to the regional community and donors that the Haywood Community Band is thinking long-term," Razo said. "We want to build assets for our future sustainability to enable us to continue assisting regional school music programs and deserving students in achieving their future goals."

The annual revenue from the endowment will:

—Sustain the love of live instrumental band music for Haywood communities and musicians.

—Increase the number of middle and high school students attending summer band camp and college scholarships for young adults seeking music degrees.

—Enhance performances with expanded instrumentation and musical selection.

Kick starting the campaign

The idea for an endowment campaign was initiated by the Maggie Valley Civic Association. The band hosts free monthly concerts at the Maggie Valley Pavilion during summer and fall, and had enjoyed a close partnership with the Maggie Valley group over years.

At one of the concerts in 2022, the Maggie Valley Civic Association surprised the band with a check for $10,000. That donation became the cornerstone of the endowment.

The civic association had decided to dissolve and chose to transfer a portion of its remaining funds to the band.

"Even though the Maggie Valley association couldn't sustain it, club money will go on to help sustain the band forever," said Kram.

In addition to the campaign, HCB is paying its conductors as part of the general strategy to grow and improve the size and quality of the band and performances.

"It's kind of a chicken and egg thing. We think the better music we can provide, the more audiences we'll have and the more contributions and community service we can do," Draper said. "Those are basically two independent tracks that we're just doing at the same time, so we're very busy."

Supporting music in schools

The Haywood Community Band has been a financial support of band in Haywood County Schools.

The band currently loans 100 instruments to middle and high school students through its Lonely Instruments Needing Kids program and will now be able to expand that, so low-income students have access to band instruments their parents couldn't afford otherwise.

"We want any kid who wants to be in band to be in band," said Betsy Draper, a band supporter.

Additionally, the band funds summer band camp scholarships to one student in each of middle and high schools. It also provides two college scholarships of $1,000 each for high school seniors who intend to major in music.

"As college tuition increases, the need for outside funding is imperative for most students. We are thrilled to partner with the Haywood Community Band to offer scholarships to students who have been in the high school band program and hope to pursue a music degree," said Jenny Wood, executive director of the Haywood County School Foundation.

One focus of the endowment campaign will be to sustain and grow that outreach as a way to support the next generation of musicians or the next band directors.

"This is a vehicle for us to use to help music students and band students as much as we can with music scholarships, band camp scholarships, the instrument program — all of those things are very effective in keeping those hopes alive for these students if they want to pursue a career in the arts," said Razo.

Pisgah graduate and oboist Jennifer McHenry was one of those scholarship recipients in 2019.

She attended Florida State University, graduated, moved back home and is now a member of the band.

"It gave me an opportunity to learn with very professional musicians that are highly regarded. And I think any kind of change of perspective, or any kind of opportunity where someone can go away to school and experience new things is pretty great," McHenry said.

The scholarship McHenry got from the band had been started in honor of Tom Cifani, a devout former band member who passed away — and like McHenry was an oboist.

"You're going to feel honored receiving any sort of scholarship, but knowing it was from the community band in honor of Tom, an oboist musician, it was an even bigger deal," McHenry said.

The Tom Cifani scholarship was one of the first offered by HCB.

"Our audiences have been so generous," said Sarah Cifani, Tom's wife who started the scholarship. "One of the things about the endowment is we're hoping we can give either a higher scholarships or more scholarships."

Fundraising goals

The band is partnering with the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina to manage the newly formed endowment. Band members have already secured a total of $40,000 of the first year's fund goal of $50,000, aiming to grow it into an investment of $100,000 within the next decade.

The majority of the funds are currently donated from band members and previous donors.

The kick-off of the fundraising campaign for the endowment will be held in conjunction with the band's first free concert of the season, beginning at 4 p.m. this Sunday, May 19, in the Long's Chapel Community Room. Haywood County residents and visitors are invited.

Haywood Community Band performs from May through November every year across the county. The band also welcomes interested adult musicians and band high school and college students to attend its rehearsals from 7 to 9 pm on Thursdays at Long's Chapel, 133 Old Clyde Road, Waynesville. For more information visit www.haywoodcommunityband.org

Want to go? The music of Disney will come to life when the Haywood Community Band kicks off its season with a free concert beginning 4 p.m. Sunday, May 19, at Long's Chapel Methodist Church in Waynesville. "Disney Music Magic!" will feature popular songs from Disney films of the last 40 years. The concert will be the first public debut of the Haywood Community Band's new conductor, Stephen Razo. "I feel that Disney music is so, well, magical," Razo said. "You will hear unforgettable music from Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Frozen and other productions."