It’s time once again to tune into the summer music scene with the Stevens Point City Band.

The City Band kicks off its 2016 season at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 8, when the theme is “Swing Into Summer.” The band will play each Wednesday into August at Pfiffner Pioneer Park. In inclement weather, the band plays at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1919 Wyatt Ave., Stevens Point.

It is one of the best ways to start the summer and bring people together, band members said.

“It has been said that music is the international language, it brings people together regardless of age or background,” said Ken Camlek, a City Band member for more than five years. “The Stevens Point area is a better place in which to live because of the City Band.

“Every Wednesday night during the summer, through its music, the City Band brings together a broad spectrum of people in our area to enjoy music, fellowship, food and fun,” he said. “I enjoy (it).”

Though entering its 126th year, the City Band is far from old. Pieces are ever-changing and are challenging, ranging from wind band classics by Holst and Vaughan Williams to works by contemporary composers to full orchestral transcriptions, such as the 1812 Overture.

Each year is a little bit different.

“It’s always fun every year for me to select the music for the concerts,” said director Kathy Kawleski; who has been directing the City Band for 13 years. She began in the band as a trumpet-playing junior high student in 1974 and became director in 2003. She also is band director and drama director at Rosholt High School.

“I’m always on the lookout for new music to include,” she said. “I try never to repeat music until four or five years have passed, with the exception of a few standards. It keeps it fun and enjoyable for the band and audience alike.”

The band, comprised of about 80 members, plays between 12 and 15 different selections each week. Members include junior high and high school students from Stevens Point Area Senior High School, Pacelli Catholic Schools and Rosholt, some University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point music majors, and community members whose day jobs include music teacher, lawyer and pediatrician.

“Over the years, the band has grown in numbers, particularly in the number of young players of high school and even junior high age,” said Jan Seiler, a flute and piccolo player who has been with the band for more than a dozen years. “At the core of the band there is a dedicated group of adults, too, so it’s a wonderful balance.”

The band members’ talent, effort and dedication combine to produce concerts that are “musically outstanding, entertaining and enjoyable,” Kawleski said.

Camlek agrees saying that is why he continues to come back year after year. “We are very fortunate to have many very talented and dedicated musicians in this area, ranging from middle school-aged musicians to a number of senior citizens who bring a great deal of experience to the Band,” he said.

“We live in a very rapidly changing world,” Camlek said. “That has brought about some ‘good things’ as well as some ‘not so good’ things. The City Band has been one of those ‘good things’ and a great sparkling gem to our area for a very long time. It benefits all of us to continue to keep that sparkling gem shining.”

The City Band has been in existence since 1890, when two area bands consolidated into one band, the Union Band. In 1905, violinist Ernest Weber, who owned a music store in town, took over as conductor and the band’s name changed to Weber’s Band.

In the early 1920s, Ray Jacobs took over the band during one of Weber’s absences, and the band changed its name to the Stevens Point City Band. Jacobs also played with the Ringling Brothers Band. The band has only had 11 directors throughout its history. Along with Weber, Jacobs and Kawleski, directors included Jim Wheelihan, Bob Van Nuys, Dan Stewart and Don Greene.

“We have an outstanding leader in Kathy Kawleski,” Camlek said. “She is an exceptional organizer, music director, conductor, role model for our young people and communicator with the musicians as well as with the audiences.

“I continue playing in the City Band because I enjoy the audiences, being a part of a very fine City Band and having an outstanding director,” he said. “We are very fortunate.”

Auditions are held in early May and are open to anyone who feels they would like to play with the group.

In addition to the music each Wednesday, during one special performance there is a Pet Parade, which in the past has included dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and lizards to name a few.

“I enjoy the music we play all summer,” Seiler said. “I enjoy the relaxed outdoor atmosphere and the presence of local families on the grass, picnicking and enjoying themselves. Most summers the bands selections include numbers that invite audience members to join with some of the youthful band members in dancing out on the lawn: the chicken dance, for example. It’s delightful.

“I think City Band lends a great deal to the friendly culture of Stevens Point,” she said. “It brings people together and creates community in an enjoyable way. Kathy’s (Kawleski) attitude and enthusiasm has contributed greatly to the success of City Band. She’s an amazing person who give so generously of her time and energy to organize and present these concerts.”

City band performances are funded in part by the Stevens Point Parks and Recreation budget, sponsors and community donations. The band also has a foundation for ongoing support.