Plano Community Band

plano community band

 

Founded in 1979, the Plano Community Band is a volunteer organization made up of approximately 70 musicians from all walks of life who share a passion for music. The band performs two Spring concerts and a Fall concert each year at the beautiful Eisemann Center in Richardson, but is best known for its summer concerts at Haggard Park, abutting old downtown Plano.

Plano Community Band believes in Music for Life, and encourages everyone to continue playing and enjoying music for life, no matter their age. We launched a formal Music for Life program in September 2015 to honor PCB Conductor Emeritus Tommy Guilbert. Each fall the PCB features professional guest soloists. In addition to performing with us on our concert, the soloists lead clinics for Plano ISD high school band students where they demonstrate interesting musical passages, impart wisdom about playing the instrument, and share stories and practice techniques to inspire students to be their best. Each spring the PBC clinics several Plano ISD middle school bands on their contest music. We feed the kids a pizza dinner. Then our musicians lead sectionals, our conductor clinics the full band, and we perform a side-by-side concert for the parents.

PCB recently formed PCB2Go, which utilizes anywhere from 5-30 players playing special arrangements called ‘Flex Band’ music to create a satisfying experience with a smaller group of players. This allows us to say “yes!” to events where the space is not large enough for all 70 of us to perform. Our Flex Band library continues to grow allowing us to perform specialized concerts such as Holiday or Patriotic while being able to provide typical music ranging from marches, movie / musical works and even more current upbeat popular tunes.

The Plano Community Band is a proud member of the Association of Concert Bands, an international organization dedicated to the advancement of adult community bands. The band has performed at several of their national conventions as well as hosted the conventions in 1992 and 2010, and the regional convention in 2024.

Members of the Plano Community Band also participate in various small ensembles, which perform regularly throughout North Texas. These groups include: Plano Brass Quintet, Trumpet Quartet, Plano Clarinet Choir, and Eversax. 

Please visit our website www.planoband.com for more information.

 

Joe Frank, Jr. Artistic Director & Principal Conductor

Joe Frank FrJoe Frank, Jr. is a retired music educator and band director with over 50 years of experience working with student and adult musicians in Texas and Georgia. He was born in Harlingen in the Rio Grande Valley and spent most of his adult years in Richardson and Sherman, Texas. Joe taught for 17 years in the Richardson ISD where mentors such as Joe Frank, Sr., Richard Floyd, Tommy Guilbert, Robert Floyd, and Howard Dunn helped form his concepts of teaching students; and interpreting, rehearsing and performing wind band literature. In 1990, Joe became Director of Bands for the Sherman ISD and helped lead the Sherman Bands to 14 years of successful performances, competitions and statewide recognition. While living in Athens, Georgia, Joe became director of the Classic City Band and developed a love for working and making music with adults. Joe is a third-generation band director. His father, Joe Frank, Sr., was a well-known Texas band and orchestra director, and charter member of the Phi Beta Mu Band Director Hall of Fame.


Joe currently lives in Denison, Texas, with his wife Becky. He is a frequent clinician/consultant and adjudicator for middle school and high school bands. His daughter Jessica currently plays clarinet in the Plano Community Band and his son Jeff is a pediatric neurologist in Oregon. Joe enjoys sailing, golf, snow-skiing and traveling with Becky.