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1 of 1977 Peninsula Banjo Band

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Metadata

Name

Peninsula Banjo Band

Role

Banjo Band

Sphere Of Activity

The Peninsula Banjo Band was organized in 1963 as the Cupertino Banjo Band. As it grew and attracted people from all over the area, its name was changed to the Peninsula Banjo Band. The band incorporated as a nonprofit corporation in 1975.

Membership varies from 30 to 50 members and includes plectrum and tenor banjo players as well as wash tub bass players. Charlie Tagawa is, and has been, the Musical Director for much of the band's existence. The public is invited to the band's practice sessions at the Straw Hat Pizza, 1535 Meridian Avenue in San Jose every Tuesday from 8:00-9:00 PM.

The band has a rich history. Many people have taken up the banjo after hearing the Peninsula Band perform at public and private functions.

Among the many functions at which the band has played are: the anniversary celebration of the Golden Gate Bridge; the reopening of the cable cars; San Francisco's Black and White ball; Candlestick Park; the San Francisco Cherry Blossom festival parade; the opening of the San Jose Convention Center; several events at the De Young Museum; opening of Highway 85; the World Trade Center, and the Mayoral convention in San Francisco where Willie Brown directed the band for a short stint and then did a little cake walk.

More recently the band has played for the opening and the one year anniversary of The Tech museum in San Jose.

Band members play on a volunteer basis, solely for the enjoyment of their listening public. Over the years, the band has donated over $160,000 to local charities including the Research Institute of San Francisco (formerly Presbyterian Medical Center), Stanford Hospital, Hospice of the Valley and Ronald McDonald House.

The mission of The Peninsula Banjo Band is to preserve the four string banjo and the music associated with it. To fulfill that mission, the band has made four recordings and two are on sale now. The band encourages all people, young and old, to take up the banjo and is always looking for new members. It offers scholarships to teach new banjo players. Each year the band hosts a Banjo Jubilee which presents some of the finest banjoists from the bay area and from all over the globe.

For happy music there's nothing like the banjo. For banjo music, there's nothing like The Peninsula Banjo Band.