About the Band
The Shelby Community Band formed in 1973, and has been in continuous existence for 50 years! The band is made of mostly adult musicians, and encompasses nearly every age group. It is comprised of people with careers such as teachers, mechanics, therapists, retirees, and people in the trades. Members come from a wide range of experience, from high school, college, and beyond.
We are a non-auditioned group. However, placement is determined by experience and needs of the ensemble. Anyone who plays a woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument is welcome! There is an expectation of a basic foundation in music for each member, including ability to read music.
The Shelby Community Band presents between 6-8 performances each year; including fall, Christmas, and spring concerts; the annual Memorial Day Performance in Shelbyville; and several concerts/festivals in the parks in and around Shelby County.
The Shelby Community Band is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit Arts organization in Shelby county. We strive to bring great music to the greater Shelby county area.
The purpose of this organization shall be to foster and promote the concept of the adult community band. In implementing this purpose, the organization’s goals shall be:
1. To contribute positively to the musical environment of the area it serves
2. To make music for people, engendering pride in our community
3. To provide an opportunity for individual musical expression and growth among the membership
4. To stimulate interest in the creation of community bands through participation in music festivals and performances
5. To reaffirm the community band position in American music by broadening appreciation of the range and depth of music which only a concert band can offer.
About the Conductor
Ross Venneberg is an Indianapolis-based trumpeter, conductor, and educator. He moved to Indiana in 2021 where for the past three years he served as Director of Instrumental Activities and Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Franklin College. In this role, he directed the Wind Ensemble and Athletic Band, taught a variety of music courses, and oversaw all aspects of the instrumental music department.
Ross maintains an active career as a trumpeter and regularly performs with ensembles such as the Indianapolis Symphony, Carmel Symphony, Terre Haute Symphony, and the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic. He also records for commercial music projects and music publishing companies such as Alfred Music, Carl Fischer Music, and Randall Standridge Music, among others.
In addition to his role as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Shelby Community Band, Ross was also recently appointed Assistant Conductor of the Circle City Orchestra in Indianapolis and has guest conducted the Crossroads Brass Band and the Shelby All-County High School Band. Prior to moving to Indiana, he spent four years as a graduate teaching assistant at both the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Washington, where he worked with all the bands, founded a large brass ensemble, and coached the ensembles’ trumpet sections.
A native of Sitka, Alaska, Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Mary’s College of California, Master of Music degrees from Manhattan School of Music and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Washington.
Ross maintains an active career as a trumpeter and regularly performs with ensembles such as the Indianapolis Symphony, Carmel Symphony, Terre Haute Symphony, and the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic. He also records for commercial music projects and music publishing companies such as Alfred Music, Carl Fischer Music, and Randall Standridge Music, among others.
In addition to his role as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Shelby Community Band, Ross was also recently appointed Assistant Conductor of the Circle City Orchestra in Indianapolis and has guest conducted the Crossroads Brass Band and the Shelby All-County High School Band. Prior to moving to Indiana, he spent four years as a graduate teaching assistant at both the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Washington, where he worked with all the bands, founded a large brass ensemble, and coached the ensembles’ trumpet sections.
A native of Sitka, Alaska, Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Mary’s College of California, Master of Music degrees from Manhattan School of Music and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Washington.