It plays only in the summer and starts rehearsals the second Thursday of June every year. We rehearse one night a week for five weeks. I have no clue who is going to show up before they get there. Tjornehoj has been working with a core group of 20 people she describes as community members who have a passion for music. Additional members include alumni band members from both Hudson's and River Falls' high schools, college students and many people that Tjornehoj has never seen before.
People play in a community band because they like making music with a quality ensemble.
Tjornehoj shows up the first night with her book filled with music that any high school senior music student can play. After that she adds and subtracts numbers based on the strength of the ensemble. It is a balancing act to create a program that entertains the audience and stretches the musicians. This year 16 trumpet players showed up to be a part of the community band, so Tjornehoj found and added numbers in which they could be featured. The band is sponsored by UW-River Falls Music Department and is given a stipend by the Hudson Parks and Recreations Department to purchase music.