Musicians Collective Going Patriotic for First Summer Concert

(KNSI) – The Sauk Rapids-Rice Area Musicians Collective is going full red, white, and blue for its debut summer concert.

The group consists of volunteers from the area and puts on a show once a season. It was formed last August, first tuning up the band for a holiday performance during the 2024 Sauk Rapids Jingle and Mingle. Conductor Justin Frerich says the group is brought together by a love of music and to do good works.

He stresses, “The main goal for us is to raise money. One, for the music boosters and for the Sauk Rapids-Rice Schools, but this particular concert, we’re working with the Agape Warrior Project to collect food donations.”

The collective consists of an orchestra and choir. The groups practice separately, meeting every other week. Brittany Munson says members have been working hard for the patriotic show on Tuesday. “The band has been working really, really hard, rehearsing every two weeks. We really have been cracking down in rehearsal and preparing the music to what it’s supposed to sound like.”

Between the band and the choir, there are over 80 members. The patriotic concert will feature a salute to the military’s six service branches, but is also a celebration of Americana. Frerich says the likes of John Philip Sousa and baseball are the perfect combination.

“A Sousa march that we’re performing is “The National Game,” and it’s about baseball. When Souza wrote it, he wrote it 100 years ago in June, and that’s when it was premiered. So, we’re performing it on its 100th anniversary. It was written to celebrate the first 50 years of baseball.”

The piece was commissioned by legendary MLB commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis. The concert is free to attend. It starts at 5:30 on Tuesday at The Clearing in Sauk Rapids. Free-will donations of non-perishable food items are encouraged.

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