PARKERVILLE Community Band are encouraging new members to join by offering to buy secondhand instruments for those who cannot afford them.

The community band has received $3000 in funding from the East Metropolitan Regional Council as part of a series of grants to projects that provide direct benefits to the local community in the Red Hill area.

One of the key organisers of the band, Yvonne Blyth, said the idea was to support younger people who were leaving school and older people who wanted to get back into playing.

She said students who learnt instruments through their schools often did not own the instruments they played and had to leave music behind when they left.

The instruments bought from the grant would work the same, remaining the property of the band, but the aim is to give the opportunity to play to those who find the cost of a new instrument prohibitive.

“We’re looking for percussion, brass, and woodwind players specifically,’’ Ms Blyth said.

“But we are up for members of any age, they just need to be able to read sheet music.

“If anyone wants to contact us, we would love to have them on board.’’

The band, with members ranging from 12 to almost 90 years old, rehearses every Thursday evening from 5pm-6pm and plays at community events throughout the year with the most recent being a Christmas concert at the Rotary Mundaring Twilight Markets in December.

Contact the Parkerville Community Band for more information via its email at
parkervillecb@gmail.com