Sounds of Sawnee Concert Band

05/25/2026

🇺🇸 Happy Memorial Day 🇺🇸

Today, the Sounds of Sawnee honors and remembers the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country.

We are grateful for their sacrifice and for the freedoms they helped protect. As we gather with family and friends today, we pause to reflect on their courage and dedication.

Wishing everyone a safe and meaningful Memorial Day.

05/22/2026

It’s ! 🎶📰

This week, we’re looking back at a special milestone in Sounds of Sawnee history: a Forsyth County News article published on December 27, 2013, celebrating the band’s 20th Anniversary!

Reaching 20 years was an incredible accomplishment and a reflection of the many musicians, directors, volunteers, and supporters who helped shape the band through the years. Looking back at articles like this reminds us just how much our organization has grown while continuing to bring music to our community.

Were you part of the band during this time? Do you remember the anniversary concert or celebrations? We’d love to hear your memories in the comments!

Current and former members are also invited to send us a message with their own Sounds of Sawnee stories, photos, programs, or band history that we can feature in a future post!

05/18/2026

Happy ! Meet Russ ⬇️

Russ Day has been part of the Sounds of Sawnee since 2004 and is a familiar face in our low brass section, where he currently plays tuba. While he enjoys playing the tuba, he shared that his favorite instrument is actually the euphonium. Russ first discovered our band through a newspaper ad and decided to sit in on a rehearsal when Alice was still directing. His wife Ann, a flutist, joined alongside him as well. Although arthritis has since caused her to step away from playing, music has continued to remain an important part of their lives together.

Russ’s musical journey began at just 6 years old with piano lessons. His teacher was the church organist, and one of his favorite memories was getting to play a processional hymn alongside her on the organ. Russ credits those early piano lessons with helping him develop rhythm skills that later carried over into brass playing. Music was always part of family life. Both of his parents sang in the church choir, and after seeing a neighbor learning piano, Russ decided he wanted to play too. His parents bought an upright piano, and before long all four brothers were taking lessons.

Practice time had to fit around sports schedules, so Russ practiced piano in the mornings before school. Competition was strong in the Day household both musically and academically. His three younger brothers all became valedictorians of their graduating classes, while Russ proudly noted that he was the highest ranking boy in his class. He also received the music award in high school, which helped provide scholarship support for college. He joked that all those piano lessons even paid off later in typing class, where he became one of the fastest typists around.

Russ began playing French horn in 4th grade after his band director selected the instrument for him because the band needed horn players. He stayed on horn through his junior year of high school before switching to euphonium his senior year. He also sings bass and has always enjoyed being involved in music in multiple ways.

He attended the University of Missouri, where he studied marketing and earned a business degree. During college, he marched one season with Marching MIZZOU in 1964 and recently returned to participate in alumni band homecomings, where he was recognized as the participant whose original marching year went back the furthest. Russ marched and performed with a fiberglass sousaphone during those alumni band homecomings. Russ also shared that he attended college at the same time as composer David Holsinger, who was then a trumpet player at Central Methodist College.

After college, Russ took a break from music from about 1965 to 1975 while beginning his career in traveling sales and customer service. Eventually he joined a community band in Orange Park, Florida on baritone and has remained musically active ever since. In addition to the Sounds of Sawnee, Russ currently performs with the Alpharetta Methodist Church Orchestra and previously played with groups including 8up with Dixie and the Forsyth Philharmonic.

One of Russ’s favorite musical experiences was performing in a Dixieland band with former member Rett for about 12 years. He laughed while recalling how their keyboard player did not read music, so the band simply played in whatever key she happened to choose. The group performed frequently at retirement communities, and they even found one of their banjo players at one of those performances.

Music has remained deeply meaningful throughout Russ’s life. He described it as “the best therapy in the world” and called music a universal language. One especially meaningful memory for him was getting to perform in a Sounds of Sawnee concert alongside both his son and granddaughter who used to be in our band.

Outside of music, Russ enjoys following auto racing, college football, and college basketball. He and Anne also love to travel, especially by cruise ship. Together they have visited five continents, including standing in both Europe and Asia on the same day while in Istanbul, Turkey. Russ especially loved visiting St. Petersburg, Russia and the Summer Palace. Princess Cruises is their favorite cruise line, and they have sailed with them 29 times already, including three cruises this year alone.

This July, Russ and Ann will celebrate 60 years of marriage as high school sweethearts. Please help us in congratulating these musical lovebirds!

When asked what he enjoys most about the Sounds of Sawnee, Russ answered simply: the friendships he has made. We are so thankful Russ continues sharing his musicianship, humor, and friendship with our band family.

05/15/2026

It’s ! 🎶

This week, we’re looking back at a truly meaningful moment in our history: our 2001 Farewell Concert for Dr. William Prescott (April 22, 1923 - December 14, 2018).

This special program not only features the music from that performance, but also heartfelt notes from past and current members sharing their memories and appreciation for Dr. Prescott’s impact on the band. It also includes a full roster of the musicians who were part of Sounds of Sawnee at the time—another incredible snapshot of our history.

Were you part of this concert, or in the audience? We’d love to hear your memories honoring the legacy of Dr. Prescott and this performance.

If you have any photos, videos, or even a recording from that day, please share them with us; we’d be honored to revisit and preserve those moments. 📸🎥

Help us continue telling the story of our band by adding your memories in the comments below! 👇

05/10/2026

💐 Happy Mother’s Day 💐

Today we celebrate the wonderful moms in our band and throughout our community. Thank you for the encouragement, support, and care you share so generously.

Your influence is felt in the music we create, in your presence at our performances, and the community we build together. Wishing you a day filled with love and appreciation.

05/08/2026

It’s !

This week, we’re celebrating a big milestone in our history: our 10th Anniversary Concert from 2004! 🎉

What makes this program especially exciting is that it includes a full list of band members from that time, giving us a wonderful snapshot of the people who helped shape Sounds of Sawnee into what it is today.

Were you there? Do you remember this concert? We’d love to hear your memories! And if anyone happens to have a recording, please share it with us! We’d be thrilled to revisit it. 🎥

Can you tell us anything else about this special performance? Drop your stories in the comments below! 👇

05/05/2026

🍎🎶 Happy National Teachers Day! 🎶🍎

Today we celebrate the incredible current and former educators in the Sounds of Sawnee Community Band and throughout our community. Your dedication, patience, and passion inspire not only in the classroom, but in every note we play.

Thank you for shaping minds, nurturing creativity, and helping the love of music grow across generations. We are so grateful for all that you do!

05/01/2026

It’s ! ☀️🎶

Isn’t it just so good that summertime is right around the corner? We’re getting into the spirit by looking back at a fan-favorite from our archives…

Take a trip back to August 24, 2007, with our concert “The Good of Summertime!” Featuring a fun mix of band favorites from Barnum and Bailey’s Favorites to jazz classics and even highlights from The Wizard of Oz, this program had something for everyone.

🎥🔗 Check out clips from the concert here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxcvk8eaF4XsZmFYo_wgiXaH71m5rCEVz

It’s always amazing to see how our repertoire (and our band!) has grown over the years while still bringing that same joyful energy to the stage.Stay tuned for more musical memories every ! 🎺✨

Conducted by Bob Russell

04/27/2026

Happy ! Meet Elaina ⬇️

Elaina is one of our newest members, joining the Sounds of Sawnee in March 2026, and we are so excited to have her in our horn section.

Her musical journey began in middle school band, where she first picked up the French horn after hearing it demonstrated and being drawn to its sound. Before that, she briefly played trumpet for a year, but quickly realized it was not the right fit and made the switch to horn. That decision stuck, and she went on to fully immerse herself in music throughout high school. She participated in symphonic band, wind band, marching band, all county, all state, and community bands. Growing up in Jupiter, Florida, she joked that she was “in all the bands” because there were no computers back then.

After high school, Elaina continued playing through various gigs, including musicals and orchestras, before taking a 25 year break from music. She found her way back in a meaningful way when her oldest daughter expressed interest in playing the horn in middle school. Elaina still had her instrument, joined the Forsyth Philharmonic, and bought her daughter a horn as well. Today, all three of her daughters, ages 20, 18, and 16, are musical, making music a true family connection.

Elaina heard about the Sounds of Sawnee through fellow musicians Beth and Patrick from the Forsyth Symphony Orchestra and decided to join earlier this year. When asked what she enjoys most so far, she shared her appreciation for the "amazing, wonderful, magnificent horn section," along with the opportunity to play under experienced directors.

Musically, Elaina enjoys classical music most and says that if you are a horn player, you understand why. While she does not yet have a favorite concert with us, she is especially looking forward to upcoming performances, including our Christmas concert. Elaina is also looking forward to making music with her new Sounds of Sawnee friends.

Outside of band, Elaina works as a Securities Compliance Examiner with the Securities and Exchange Commission, where she audits broker dealers, investment advisors, and other registered entities. In her free time, she enjoys attending performances such as Yo Yo Ma at the Fox Theatre.

Her personal motto is simple and relatable: “Music is cheaper than therapy.”

We are so glad Elaina has joined our band and look forward to many performances together ahead.

04/24/2026

It’s ! 📸🎶

This week, we’re taking a special look back thanks to a photo shared by Kitty Norton, capturing a moment from what appears to be the late 1990s.

There are a few familiar faces we can spot, including Gene Price and Cathy McCloy, and we’ve been told that Scott Pasell’s dad is the 4th person in on the horn section. The two ladies beside the contributor of this photo are Anne Steele and Jeannie Madsen (also horn players). Based on who’s pictured, this likely dates back to a time before Scott was playing with the band, during Anne Steele’s years as a member.

The stage itself may bring back memories too—it looks like the old Forsyth Community Center, located at the corner of Sawnee Dr and Tribble Gap. Longtime members might remember it as a former rehearsal and performance space before the building was sold. While it had a great stage for its time, many still remember the transition period when the band had to move on and find a new rehearsal and performance space.

We’d love your help filling in the rest of the story. Can you identify any of the other current or former band members in this photo? Share in the comments! 👇