Investors Bank Grants $5K to Blawenburg Band

The Princeton-area Blawnenburg Band enjoyed nearly twice as many concert-goers at its annual concert this year – for its 125th Anniversary Gala – thanks in part to two $2,500 grants from Investors Foundation in partnership with the Roma Bank Community Foundation.

“Our annual anniversary concert has become one of the most important and popular of the Band’s performances in recent years,” said Jerry Rife, the Blawenburg Band’s Music Director and Conductor. “This year’s 125th anniversary really underscored our longevity and our tradition of playing for our friends, our families and our neighbors in the community.”

The Blawenburg Band applied for the grant from Investors Foundation and Roma Bank Community Foundation; Roma Bank became part of Investors Bank in early 2014. The foundation supports non-profit organizations that enrich diverse communities served by Investors Bank.

“Music brings people together and puts a smile on their faces,” said Linda Martin, a Senior Market Manager for Investors Bank. “We are so proud to support the Blawenburg Band in providing music throughout the Princeton area.”

The band used the funds from Investors to advertise the event, which drew approximately 600 people; band treasurer Robert Fluss estimates that in past years their largest crowd comprised about 350 people. The gala was held at Hopewell Valley Central High School Performing Arts Center in Pennington on May 15.

The program for the gala this year continued the tradition of presenting a rich musical selection from the concert band repertoire, including pieces by von Suppe, Verdi, Grainger, Lerner and Lowe, and others. The band, which has about 75 musicians, played marches, an overture, a dance, two tributes, and two world premieres of original compositions.

Players range in age from their teens to their eighties, but they all have a common love and talent for playing their instrument and a desire to make music together. Members include teachers, business people, computer specialists, homemakers, medical professionals, and retirees.

Admission for the concert was free and a reception followed.

About Investors Bank

Investors Bank is a full-service community bank that has been serving customers since 1926. With more than $19.4 billion in assets and more than 130 retail branches in New Jersey, New York City and Long Island, Investors Bank delivers personalized services and products tailored to the needs of its customers. Investors’ consumer banking services include complete deposit products, online banking, home equity loans and lines of credit and a full array of mortgage loans. Serving the business community, Investors provides deposit accounts, cash management services, business loans and lines of credit, and commercial real estate financing solutions to small and middle market companies, professional services firms, municipalities and other businesses. Investors Bank is a member of the FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender.

About Blawenburg Band

Founded in Blawenburg, New Jersey in 1890, the Blawenburg Band continues a great tradition that began when towns depended on their own people for live musical entertainment. The group is one of the oldest community bands in the state and among the most active. Conducted since 1985 by Dr. Jerry Rife, Professor of Music and Chair of the Fine Arts Department at Rider University, the band performs 25 to 30 concerts a year throughout the area. They play at holiday parades, community celebrations, church socials, and at many senior centers and retirement homes. Some of the most popular and well-attended concerts are the summer outdoor series in Hopewell, the annual concert at the Princeton Shopping Center and the Fourth of July celebration in Yardley, PA. Band members can be dedicated amateurs as well as musicians with formal musical training and professional experience. For more information, visit www.blawenburgband.org.