Southwest Floridians can start the new year on a musical note, as the county’s oldest band is putting on its first performance of 2026 next weekend.

The Lee County Community Band has announced, “New Year — Traditions and New Beginnings!” as its first performance. The free concert takes place Jan. 11 at 3 p.m. at Mariner High School in Cape Coral.

Under the direction of Gil Peltola, the 60-piece band will present a dynamic program of classic marches, Broadway highlights, beloved movie themes, Motown, Disney favorites, and a lively audience sing-along.

“This particular series that Gil put together, who’s our conductor, is really interesting because he’s blended John Williams with Disney, with Motown,” said LCCB spokesperson and member Joanne Correia. “It’s just a really interesting pick because we were talking about modernizing our music. Prior to Gil coming in a few years ago, the band was playing more classical and marching, and we’ve been modernizing our music because the age of our band has gotten younger and the people who are coming are getting younger.

“We like to play pieces that people recognize, but we also like to do pieces that come from different genres.”

The performance continues the band’s storied heritage as one of the oldest continuously operating community bands in the United States, tracing its origins to the Fort Myers Brass Band more than 130 years ago.

“We’ve been around a long time,” Correia said.

One of the most unique aspects of the band is that it’s part of the adult education system in the county.

“Anybody can come in and play. A lot of people are music teachers that play here,” Correia said. “And they’re really, really talented. We always have singalong sings, and we have an excellent singer that accompanies us as well.”

The 60-plus members of the band are amateurs, semi-professional, and professional musicians who graciously volunteer their time and talent to share their love of music with concert attendees, just as the original members of the Fort Myers Brass Band did well over a century ago.

LCCB performs six concerts during each season, which runs from November of the current year to April of the following year, to a near-capacity audience at the auditorium of Mariner High School.

“We learn 15 pieces a month, and then we play it, and then we learn another 15 (for the next show),” Correia said. “And then in the summer, we have a little band which goes around. We go to all the assisted living and nursing homes. We did 25 shows this summer. It’s the first time we’ve done this, and the response from that community has just been so heartfelt.”

Correia said the direction that Peltola has led the band has opened up ears of a new audience.

“It’s modernizing it for the crowd, bringing in songs for both people that come see us, and the players,” she said. “This season has been a lot more modern. We have some players that come in that just got out of high school that are playing with us, or they’re in their 20s now.”

Correia said attending the show next weekend would be a great way to jumpstart the new year on a positive note.

“It’s uplifting, and it’s happy, and it brings back old memories of things, you know, movies that you’ve seen,” she said. “People like to sing along. People clap. And so for one hour, they can escape from what’s going on around them.”

While the concert is free to attend, the band does collect donations to help pay for sheet music, as they abide by copyright laws.

For more information on Lee County Community Band, visit LeeCountyBand.org, or call 513-702-0380.

The band also has a YouTube channel and Facebook page to keep tabs on or to view shows.

Remaining concerts this season are: Feb. 15, March 15, and April 12.

All concerts are themed and free, and begin at 3 p.m. at Mariner High School, at 701 Chiquita Blvd., N., in Cape Coral.

To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com