The Elk River German Band was formed about nine years ago when several musicians assembled to play for a community function. Since then the band has grown to its present size of ten musicians including nine instrumentalists and a female vocalist. The band bears the name of its hometown of Elk River, Minnesota, a small community located 40 miles northwest of Minneapolis. The majority of members reside in the south-central region of Minnesota.
Present membership includes both amateur and professional musicians.
The band has played at festivals and private events in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, including the Oktoberfest in New Ulm, MN., the Minnesota State Fair, Minnesota Orchestra's Sommerfest, and the Germanfest in Milwaukee. Also, three years ago the band conducted a two-week performance tour of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. The band features the Bavarian style of German music and has produced several recordings, available on cassette tape and compact disc.