Cottonwood Community Band

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BAND

In the spring of 1990, the Cottonwood Civic Club placed an announcement in the newspaper that they were interested in assisting in a project that would benefit the Cottonwood Community. Madison Myers responded to the announcement with the idea of forming a community band. The Cottonwood Civic Club was enthusiastic, but was not able to financially support the endeavor. However, this was the impetus needed for Madison to gather a group of musicians to form a band.

The original band consisted of eight members. Through the years, the band grew to its current size of almost 50 members. The members range in age from high school students to retirees in the community. They hail from Sedona, Cottonwood, Clarkdale, Camp Verde and throughout the Verde Valley. The band was incorporated as a non-profit organization in January 2001.

Presently, the Cottonwood Community Band presents four concerts per year and provides music for various community events such as Verde River Days, the Jerome Elks Lodge Flag Day Celebration, and the Clarkdale Fourth of July Celebration.

Officers and Board of Directors

John Kinnamon – President

Gloria Vander Peut - Vice President

Jean Tierney - Secretary

Neil Rosenow – Treasurer

Nancy Kores

Judy Cowan

Colleen Edwards

COTTONWOOD COMMUNITY BAND WELCOMES

NEW DIRECTOR JEFF BOWELL

Cottonwood Community is proud to announce its new director Jeff Bowell (pronounced “Bowl”).

Mr. Bowell is Canadian born but grew up in Ohio. While attending music school at Youngstown State he freelanced with the Cleveland Philharmonic and Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Band.

In 1981 Bowell won the Army's West Point Band audition as a trombonist. He played with the United States Military Academy (USMA) Band for five years and had opportunities to conduct the band for outdoor Sunday evening band concerts at Trophy Point, the site where scenes from the end of the movie "Hello, Dolly!" were filmed. Bowell then switched to the Air Force bands for a total of 20 years ending as a USAF Master Sergeant.  

After retiring from the Air Force, Bowell and his wife Shawn moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming where he taught at the community college for nine years serving as assistant director. After a short detour to Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the Bowells moved to the Village of Oak Creek in November of 2017. Bowell had been playing for the Prescott Pops Symphony and the Verde Valley Sinfonietta.

Cottonwood Community Band welcomes Jeff Bowell to the podium. He can be contacted at cottonwoodcommunityband@gmail.com.

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