HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: Jerry Rife, conductor of the Blawenburg Band, celebrates his 40th year on the podium at a concert that also marks the 135th year of the band on May 18.

The Blawenburg Band, New Jersey’s oldest community band, will celebrate its 135 years of performing as well as the 40th year of conductor Jerry Rife’s leadership at its Anniversary Concert in Kendall Hall on The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) campus, 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing, on Sunday, May 18, at 3 p.m.

The concert is free, but donations are welcome. On the program are traditional band marches, show tunes, and more.

Founded in 1890, the band was named for the village where it was based in for many years, the historic village of Blawenburg in Montgomery Township. The band began with a handful of musicians who gathered weekly in the upper room of the village blacksmith and wheelwright shop.

Today, the band has over 80 members, and Rife has conducted over 1,500 concerts, averaging 20 per year. Under his direction, the band has played over 400 different pieces since 1990, the year of the first Anniversary Concert.

Band members practice every week during the school year to prepare for their performances. They perform two large concerts each year, the Anniversary Concert in the spring and the Holiday Concert in December. In addition, the band plays a concert series in Hopewell Borough during the summer months and at many smaller venues throughout the year.

Much of the success of the band comes from Rife’s belief that in rehearsals and concerts, the band members must have fun mixed with a lot of playing. “They come to play,” Rife recently said of the band members, “so that’s what we do each week.”

Rife earned a Ph.D. in musicology at Michigan State where he also served as assistant professor. In 1984, he began teaching at Rider University, and served as professor and Fine Arts Department chair for nine years. He holds the rank of professor emeritus of music.

Rife quickly discovered the Blawenburg Band upon coming to New Jersey, and after playing clarinet for a year, he became its conductor in 1985. Under his direction, the band has played concerts at Princeton University, Longwood Gardens, the Sousa Centennial Ceremony, and the White House.

For more information, visit blawenburgband.org.