Community Music Groups Hit Just the Right Note

Every Monday night, I tune my saxophone and take a seat with my town's community band for therapy. At least, that's what we call our joyful (if occasionally off-key) rehearsals.

Daniel McDill, cofounder of the similarly chill Social Symphony of Kansas City, can relate. "Combining the positivity of music with meeting like-minded people is good for the soul and mental health," he says.

McDill, who holds a master's degree in conducting, created the orchestra with two friends in 2018: "They asked me, 'If we organize this, will you stand up there, wave your arms and make music happen?'" They posted the idea on social media and were shocked when 50 people showed up to the first meeting. Today, the Social Symphony maintains a waiting list. Members range in age from 21 to 60. Some haven't played instruments since high school; others attended prestigious music schools. "It's a weird, big orchestra family," McDill says.

The group performs a couple of times each year, but as with my own tiny band, the true reward is just playing together. In fact, they don't even require auditions. "This is one of the safest environments for someone to get back into music," McDill says. "The person next to you made a mistake, and the conductor probably did too!"

Start Your Own

Find a Leader

Put someone at the helm who has credentials to conduct and is open to imperfections. "Fellowship and the social aspect of music are as important as the product you put out," Daniel McDill says.

Keep It Easy

McDill recommends choosing music that everyone can play without spending much extra time practicing: "We want everyone to look forward to Monday rehearsals, not stress about the music."

Have a Funding Plan

The Social Symphony operates as a nonprofit and takes donations, but they mostly rely on a $10 monthly member fee to cover the costs of rehearsal space rental and sheet music.