FEATURED EVENTS | By Sarah Howery Hart

Ojai Band Concerts Strike Up at Libbey Park Gazebo

For 27 years, Ojai’s summer Concerts in the Park are a much-loved part of community life. This event is sponsored by Ojai Rotary-West, who invites all to, “Come Early, Bring a Picnic, and Enjoy!”

The impetus behind this joyous endeavor came from one woman, Ojai’s Sara Beeby, who, 27 years ago discovered summer band concerts while traveling through New England. “My brother and mother had told me about a quaint town on Cape Cod in Chatham, and of a wonderful community band that plays in the summertime.” Nearing the town, Beeby and her husband spotted the grandstand in a park, and she was captivated. “The thought occurred to me that Ojai would enjoy free concerts also.

Once back in Ojai, Beeby jumped into action. She found that there was massive support and began auditions. “Ojai already had an unused gazebo in Libbey Park. Bill Wagner, Nordhoff music teacher, assisted with the auditions and ultimately agreed to be the Ojai Band director.” Wagner volunteered for seven summers, and according to Beeby, even gave up touring Europe to do so. That first concert was held June 21, 1991, with over 300 attendees. That number soon increased, and the event outgrew the gazebo.

“After the first concert, word spread and audiences grew,” Beeby recalls. “In 1995 I organized [the] construction of a new bandstand, with tremendous outpouring of financial support. Marc Whitman, a local architect, said, ‘I will donate all my time because I want to give back to Ojai.’” Others volunteering included Tim Reed, owner of Ventura Roofing. “His dad played flute in the band. To honor his dad Tim donated the entire roof.” “It was a community effort,” Beeby recalls.

“They loved the band, had already heard it for four years, so people came forward and donated.” The new gazebo was completed in 1996, but Beeby didn’t stop there. “I continued to do everything but the music for 10 years.”

Many of the original musicians never stopped either, for 27 years, under the direction of Wagner, then restaurant owner/musician Joe Boccali, and for the past four years, under the baton of Laura Denne, former Ojai Unified School District music instructor. She is assisted by Gary Engels, director of frequent Ojai performers, Ventura’s British Brass Band. Denne was one of the originals. “There are five musicians in the band, including myself, who have been here for the whole 27 years,”
Denne says. She adds that all members are volunteers, coming from various County locations, and range in age from 14 to 92.

One aspect of Beeby’s job is selecting the music, including special programs she calls ‘The B List.’ “Everything we play will start with B, such as the Beach Boys,” she
explains. She includes Leonard Bernstein and Benny Goodman. It’s eclectic. “We have show tunes, songs from musicals, big band selections, movie music. We try to run the gamut from ‘40s to contemporary.” Children’s music is included, too, such as songs from “Frozen,” (“Let It Go,”) and there is a special children’s event. “The children’s march was and is extremely popular,” Beebe says. “Children, the young at heart, and even dogs circle the park to three marching pieces, and everyone has a helium balloon, which costs 25 cents to carry.”

Regardless of the year or the program, there is one constant, Phil Harvey, 96 years old, who opens each concert with “The Ojai Song.” “This is a throwback to the band concerts of the ‘40s and ‘50s,” Beeby says, “When towns had gazebos and people met in the park to hear music.”

For more information: facebook.com/pg/OjaiBand)