Sharon Bands Celebrates 25 Years of Making Music

The Sharon Bands is celebrating its 25th year this year and veteran member Mark Freitas says it has been quite a ride.

“I’ve been in the band 21 years and I’m still a newcomer,” he said. “We’ve still got some members that have been there from the very beginning.”

The Sharon Bands, which includes a jazz band under the name, "The Roy Scott Big Band" and a full concert band, started in 1988 when a conductor, Roy Scott, wanted to start something fresh.  Scott was originally from Sharon and both bands are based in the town.

Freitas said he and bandmember Glenn McGibbon found the band in much the same way it was founded through a newspaper ad.

“Roy Scott decided to put together a band by putting an ad in the Sharon Advocate,” McGibbon said. “It started with literally five people.”

Freitas plays the trombone, and has since he was a kid, but had to take a seven-year break for his family and work. He said he was looking to get back into it when he found the Sharon Bands.

“That’s a common story for our group,” he said.  “I’ve been doing it ever since.”

McGibbon said they have 70 members in the concert band and roughly 20 members in the jazz band.  Freitas added there is a large age range in the group and they never discriminate.

“We have members that range from their teens to their 80s and everywhere in between,” he said.

McGibbon said they book themselves everywhere, which he feels is unusual for their type of band.

“The musicians are amazing for giving up their time and having the excitement to do these shows for the community,” he said. “I think it’s interesting that we have such a full slate, we book ourselves the whole summer and there’s at least two gigs a week. For nonprofessional musicians, it’s kind of a lot.”

McGibbon said in August, during a gig at Lakeside, they will try to get as many former members of both bands to come and participate for the 25th anniversary, though he did say nothing has been finalized.

“We want to have anyone who’s played with us in the last 25 years,” he said.

Here’s a full list of the bands’ upcoming shows:

Sunday., June 30, 7-9pm, Norwood Common - Sharon Concert Band

Wednesday., July 3, Walpole Independence Day Celebration  - Sharon Concert Band

Sunday., July 7, 5:30 p.m., Hopkinton - Roy Scott Big Band

Wednesay., July 10, 6:30 p.m., Franklin -  Roy Scott Big Band

Sunday., July 14, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., Wrentham Town Common - Sharon Concert Band

Wednesday., July 17, 7 p.m., Endicott Estate, Dedham - Roy Scott Big Band

Sunday., July 21, 7-9 p.m., Norwood Town Common - Roy Scott Big Band

Wednesday., July 24, 6:30 p.m., Franklin  - Sharon Concert Band

Sunday, July 28, 3 p.m. Copley Square Summer Arts Weekend - Sharon Concert Band

 Monday, July 29, 7-9 p.m., Natick Town Common - Roy Scott Big Band

 Sunday, August 4, 7 p.m., Sharon (Lakeside) SCB and RSBB