A Brief History -- Who We Are

YYoungstown Area Community Concert Band was the dream of a former Dana School of Music student, member of the United States Air Force Band and former member, Bill Gretsinger. He believed in community bands and their restoration to a place of prominence in America. In addition, he believed it was possible to create an organization dedicated to excellence, personal satisfaction and achievement, as well as community service.  So in 1983, he began the momentous task of assembling the elements to create such an organization, and after months of arduous work, the YACCB had its first rehearsal on January 19, 1984 in the band room of Ursuline High School under the direction of Joseph Purser, Director of Music from the Liberty school system.  Some of those original members are still part of our band: Ed D’Angelo, Alan Stiver, Doug Lewis – all of whom were members in those early years.

Joe Purser only directed a short time when the baton was turned over to Mike Ferraro, a retired music educator, who directed the band until 1989.  Our next conductor was Joe Pellegrini, now retired music director at Fitch High School. Our current conductor is Todd Maki, conductor, composer, arranger and recording engineer.

The location of the band rehearsals moved from Ursuline High School to the Senior Citizen Center, then finally to Bliss Hall at Dana School of Music at YSU. Rehearsals are at Austintown Middle School during the school year and YSU during the summer.

We maintain a year-round schedule of concerts and rehearsals with short breaks after the summer concert season and the Christmas concert season.  We rehearse Thursday evenings from 7-9pm. 

We are an open community  band of 60-plus members who enjoy sharing our love of music.  We are a diverse group. Our band ranges in age from high school students to senior-senior citizens. We have both professional musicians and recreational musicians, and we have a variety of occupations represented.  We drive in from many counties in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.  In all of this diversity, we share a common love of band music.  It bonds us.  We have fun, and we take our music seriously.  We take pride in belonging to YACCB and endeavor to be one of the finest community band programs in northeast Ohio.

We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and are supported solely by donations.