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Test your knowledge of the history and traditions of the Charlottesville Municipal Band! For each question below pass your computer's cursor over the word ANSWER to see the correct answer to the question. You will need to have your web browser set to allow Javascript in order for the answers to appear. If you prefer, you can also see a non-automated list of the questions and their answers here. The answers to all trivia questions listed below are believed to be complete and accurate to the best of our knowledge and research ability. Please report any suspected errors, along with supporting documents or information, to the Municipal Band Webmaster. If there are other questions you think would be interesting to include here, please send them (along with the correct answer!) to the Webmaster as well, and we will consider them for inclusion in future versions of this quiz.
- We'll start with an easy one. What year was the Municipal Band established?
- 1920
- 1922
- 1925
- 1932
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- Learn music? Learn how to play their instruments? Didn't they know this before they joined the Band?
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- Who was the Band's first conductor?
- Harold Hill
- P. G. Lowry
- Harry Lowe
- James W. Simmons
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- What was Harry Lowe's "day job"?
- Insurance Saleman
- School Teacher
- Grocer
- City Employee
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- Name all of the official conductors of the Band in order. Extra points for giving their years of service.
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- What musical instrument(s) did the conductors play?
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- How many members were in the Band when it was first organized?
- 25
- 28
- 36
- 41
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- When were women first admitted to membership in the Band?
- 1945
- 1950
- 1957
- 1963
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- How many women joined the Band as Charter Female Members in 1957?
- 16
- 18
- 20
- 22
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- Approximately how many women have played in the Municipal Band since women were first admitted as members in 1957?
- 450
- 500
- 550
- 600
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- Who was the first African-American member of the Band, what year did he or she join the Band and what was his or her instrument?
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- Has the Band had any members who were not from the United States?
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- When and where was the Band's first public appearance?
- March 30, 1923 at the C&O Train Station
- April 1, 1923 at the McGuffy School
- April 10, 1923 at the Armory
- April 30, 1923 at the Union Train Station
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- When and where was the Band formally turned over to the City of Charlottesville?
- May 28, 1923 in Lee Park
- June 1, 1923 in Lee Park
- April 1, 1924 in McIntire Park
- May 23, 1924 in Jackson Park
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- Where did the Band present its first out-of-town concert?
- Scottsville, Virginia
- Gordonsville, Virginia
- Ruckersville, Virginia
- None of the above
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- Very funny. So where was the Band's real first out-of-town concert?
- Scottsville, Virginia
- Gordonsville, Virginia
- Ruckersville, Virginia
- Crozet, Virginia
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- What is the farthest from Charlottesville that the Band has ever traveled to perform?
- Dallas, Texas
- Tampa, Florida
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Cincinnati, Ohio
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- What are the farthest points north, south, east and west from Charlottesville that the Band has ever performed?
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- Okay, then what's the highest and lowest the Band has ever played (meaning altitude, not musical pitch)?
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- Has the Band ever performed, literally, at sea?
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- When and where did the Band first play a concert broadcast over radio?
- December 25, 1923 in Charlottesville, VA
- June 5, 1924 in Memphis, TN
- May 21, 1925 in Dallas, TX
- September 23, 1926 in Richmond, VA
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- What is the farthest away anyone has ever heard the Band live via radio?
- England
- Spain
- Canada
- Mexico
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- When did the Band first give a televised concert?
- 1958
- 1965
- 1968
- 1970
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- Has the Band ever been associated with any military organization?
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- Has the Band ever been associated with any other civic organizations of any kind?
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- Has the Band ever performed for any notable persons?
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- Has the Band ever performed for royalty?
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- Where did the Band hold its first rehearsals?
- The Armory
- The C&O Railway Station
- City Hall
- First Baptist Church
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- What other places has the Band rehearsed over the years?
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- When did the Band begin using Edwin Franko Goldman's march On the Mall as the theme song for its summer concerts?
- June 10, 1968
- July 4, 1970
- May 8, 1976
- August 1, 1978
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- In what year did the Band begin playing for the Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) graduation ceremonies?
- 1990
- 1991
- 1992
- 1993
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- The Band is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors that includes a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and three at-large members, along with the Music Director serving as an ex officio non-voting member. Until the 1990s there were no term limits for Board members, so many persons elected to the Board in earlier years often served for many years. Which of the following former Presidents of the Band served the longest in that capacity?
- Sol Kaufman
- Guy F. Via
- T. Dallas Bailey
- James W. Simmons
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- Who was the first woman Band member elected to the Board of Directors? Extra credit: What year was she elected?
- Eleanor F. Dickerman
- Edith B. Firth
- Evelyn Nichols
- Emily Pippin
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- Who was the first woman Band member elected President of the Board of Directors? Extra credit: What year was she elected?
- Connie L. Behrens
- Charlotte Shideler
- Carol Zuk
- Clara L. Mincer
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- Who was the first African-American Band member elected to the Board of Directors? Extra credit: What year was he or she elected?
- H. Wayne Clark
- Janell A. Ellis
- Calvin Cage
- Dana N. Hackett
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- What is the most performed piece of music by the Municipal Band?
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- What march has been most performed by the Municipal Band?
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- What is the average cost of a piece of music acquired by the Band for its library?
- $50
- $80
- $110
- $150
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- How many pieces are there in the Band's music library?
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- Are there any composers in the Band? If so, how many?
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- Are recordings of Municipal Band performances available to the public?
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- On what night of the week does the Band typically rehearse and/or perform?
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- How many weeks of the year does the Band rehearse?
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- Since the founding of the Band, which of the following musical instruments has been played by more members than any other?
- Alto Saxophone
- Bb Clarinet
- Flute
- Trumpet
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- Which musical instrument has been least played by members of the Municipal Band over the years?
- Baritone Saxophone
- Contrabass Clarinet
- Eb Clarinet
- Piccolo
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- How many people have been members of the Municipal Band since it was established in 1922?
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- In what year did the Band admit its 250th member? Its 500th member? Its 750th member? And its 1,000th member?
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- How big is the Band, then?
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- How many current members of the Band have participated for at least 50 years?
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- Who is the longest-serving member of the Municipal Band and how long has this person served?
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- Who designed the Band's official seal?
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- For most of its history the Band has played many of its concerts outdoors "under the stars" or in various kinds of challenging weather conditions. What was the worst year ever for adverse weather affecting Band concerts?
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- The Band concludes nearly all of its concerts with a John Philip Sousa march. Is there any connection between the Municipal Band and the great March King?
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You can find computer-generated renditions (and some original early sound recordings) of most of Sousa's marches and some of his other works at the John Philip Sousa - American Conductor, Composer and Patriot web site.
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Municipal Band of Charlottesville, Inc.
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Charlottesville, Virginia 22902-6480
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Page last modified November 29, 2011