Pride Bands Alliance Explained
Pride Bands Alliance is an international network of LGBTQ+ and affirming community bands founded in 1982 as the Lesbian and Gay Bands of America. The organization supports local bands by providing a network for communication, hosting annual conferences, and providing the opportunity for members to perform in massed band performances in major events throughout the world.
Pride Bands Alliance currently includes over 30 bands in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia.
Current Member Organizations
- Atlanta Freedom Band
- Band Together (St. Louis, MO)
- Central Florida Sounds of Freedom and Colorguard (Orlando, FL)
- Charlotte Pride Band (Charlotte, NC)
- Cleveland Pride Band (Cleveland, OH)
- Columbus Pride Bands (Columbus, OH)
- D.C.’s Different Drummers (Washington, DC)
- Desert Overture (Phoenix, AZ)
- Desert Winds Freedom Band (Palm Springs, CA)
- Encantada, The Band of Enchantment (Albuquerque, NM)
- Flower City Pride Band (Rochester, NY)
- Freedom Trail Band of Boston (Boston, MA)
- Gay Freedom Band of Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
- Houston Pride Band (Houston, TX)
- Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles (Chicago IL)
- Mid America Freedom Band (Kansas City, KS)
- Mile High Freedom Bands (Denver, CO)
- Minnesota Freedom Band (Minneapolis, MN)
- Oak Lawn Band (Dallas, TX)
- Philadelphia Freedom Band (Philadelphia, PA)
- Pride of Indy Bands, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN)
- Pride of San Antonio Showband (San Antonio, TX)
- Queen City Freedom Band (Cincinnati, OH)
- Rainbow City Performing Arts (Seattle, WA)
- Rose City Pride Bands (Portland OR)
- San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (San Francisco, CA)
- South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble (Ft Lauderdale, FL)
- Tampa Bay Pride Band (Tampa, FL)
- The Queer Big Apple Corps (New York, NY)
- Triangle Pride Band (Raleigh, NC)
Partner Organizations
- Bay Area Rainbow Symphony (San Francisco, CA)
- CHEER San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
- London Gay Symphonic Winds (London, UK)
- Melbourne Rainbow Band (Melbourne, AU)
- Queer Urban Orchestra (New York, NY)
- Rainbow Concert Band (Vancouver, CA)
Origins
Pride Bands Alliance was originally formed as the Lesbian and Gay Bands of America when members of seven independent lesbian and gay bands met formally in Chicago from October 1–3, 1982.
Founding Bands
- San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (San Francisco, CA)
- Montrose Symphonic Band (Houston, TX)
- Los Angeles Great American Yankee (GAY) Freedom Band (Los Angeles, CA)
- New York Gay Community Marching Band (New York, NY)
- Chicago Gay/Lesbian Community Band (Chicago, IL)
- D.C.'s Different Drummers (Washington DC)
- Oak Lawn Symphonic Band (Dallas, TX)
- Minnesota Freedom Band (Minneapolis, MN)
Conferences and Special Events
Pride Bands Alliance meets annually in a conference hosted by a member band. Conferences generally attract over 300 participants and include workshops, roundtable discussions, social events, and performance opportunities that can include massed band concerts, parades, jazz band, pep band, as well as smaller ensembles.
Conferences sometimes include special guest conductors and composers. Past Pride Bands Alliance annual conferences have included Alfred Reed, Frank Ticheli, Julie Giroux, Robert Longfield, Michael Markowski, Randall Standridge, Rossano Galante.
Conference concerts have also featured celebrity emcees/performers including Rita Moreno, Judith Light, Cindy Williams, Dick Sargent, Margaret Cho, Denali Foxx, and Angeria Paris VanMicheals.
Massed Band Events
Pride Bands Alliance organizes massed band performances for musicians from member bands at major events throughout the world. Events have included:
- World Pride, New York City, USA 2019
- Gay Games X, Paris, France 2018
- Gay Games IX, Cleveland, USA 2014
- Barack Obama Presidential Inauguration, Washington, DC 2013
- World Pride, London, UK 2012
- Gay Games VIII, Cologne, Germany 2010
- Barack Obama Presidential Inauguration, Washington, DC 2009
- Gay Games VII, Chicago, USA 2006
- Gay Games VI, Sydney, Australia 2002
- Millennium March on Washington, Washington DC 2000
- Gay Games V, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1998
- Bill Clinton Presidential Inauguration, Washington DC 1997
- Gay Games IV, New York, USA 1994
- March on Washington, Washington DC 1993
- Bill Clinton Presidential Inauguration, Washington DC 1993
- March on Washington, Washington DC 1990
- Gay Games III, Vancouver, Canada 1990th
- Gay Games II, San Francisco, USA 1986
- Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, USA 1984
- Gay Games I, San Francisco, USA 1982
References
- Advocate- Issue 356, 25 November 1982- Beautiful Music Together
- OutSmart- July 2006 pages 10, 42 (mention of musicians going to Gay Games
- Washington Blade-16 January 2009 page 18- Gay Chorus, band to join festivities
- OutSmart- January 2009 page 10- Houston Pride Band Members to Perform at Inauguration
- “Road to the Inauguration.” Democratic and Chronicle (Rochester, NY), 1/11/09
- “The Presidential Inauguration Parade Continues.” CNN: The Situation Room, 1/21/93
- OutSmart- February 2013 cover and page 24- Greetings from Washington, DC
- “‘This is our time’: Clinton Takes oath as the 42nd president applauds predecessor for “Service to America.”, The Washington Times, 1/21/93, A1
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