Arts & Entertainment
Jam on Tunes from Les Miserables to Pirates of the Caribbean with Port Chester's Community Band
Got a dusty instrument in your closet? The next rehearsal is Wednesday, and band leaders welcome musicians of any skill level.
From Russell Crowe's Maximus leading Roman centurions to Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow tumbling his way over a ship deck, some of today's most familiar movie scenes were scored by conductor Hans Zimmer.
On Wednesday, members of the Rye Town Community Band will try their hand at Zimmer's orchestral epics as they take selections from the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack.
Like high schoolers forming their first punk band, the community outfit's organizers have been spreading word around town that they'll happily take players of any skill level. Led by a few pros from the Port Chester School District, bandleaders know most people in town got their musical foundation from the high school's band program.
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They say it doesn't matter if it's been three years or 30 since prospective band members last picked up their instruments. They operate under the theory that playing an instrument is like riding a bike – after a few songs or a few laps around the block, it'll all come back.
A few of the other hum-worthy favorites include songs from Phantom of the Opera, the Broadway play Smokey Joe’s Cafe, and selections from Les Miserables.
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The band is growing: 20 people showed up to the first practice in January, and seven more joined when the band met last month.
"I think we're all getting into it well. It's fun for all of us to be breaking out the old instruments again after all these years," said band member and Port Chester Middle School faculty member Charles Fulco.
The band isn't just for adults – it counts current students from Port Chester's high school and middle school among its performers.
Fans of Zimmer's swashbuckling soundtrack are invited to join the band at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Port Chester Middle School for an instrumental rendition of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.
The next Community Band rehearsal is set for Wednesday, March 23 at 7pm at Port Chester Middle School.
Attached is a photo gallery of past rehearsals by member and Port Chester Middle School faculty member Charles Fulco.
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