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About the Band | Band Staff
The Ontario/Chaffey Show Band was organized in 1985. It began when
former Chaffey High School students, who had graduated and gone into their respective
professional field, urged band director Jack Mercer to come out of retirement
and organize an Alumni band. He agreed and 42 musicians representing a wide
variety of occupations from Doctors, Layers, Dentist, Mechanic, Chief of Police
and almost every other professions picked up their instruments and began building
embouchures and diaphragm support.
Their first sponsor was the Chaffey Adult School. For 27 years Mr. Mercer had
directed the Chaffey High School Marching Tiger Band. They had appeared
regularly as half-time entertainment for the Los Angeles Rams. Their Coliseum
shows had been seen nationally over CBS.
When the new band needed a home, the Chaffey District offered a rehearsal hall
and equipment as well as an auditorium for their performances. For six years,
they gave one performance a month in a 600 seat auditorium. As the attendance grew
to an overflowing crowed it was necessary to move into the two thousand seat Gardiner
Spring Auditorium
As the organization matured, funds were needed for music, supplies, and
equipment. To meet these needs, The Ontario City Council stepped in with a
regular yearly budget. In return, they requested that the Ontario/Chaffey
Show Band provide one FREE entertainment a month for 10 months.
As the program grew, the Alumni band has expanded and is no longer limited
to former Chaffey Students. Today members come from Victorville, Pasadena,
Riverside, Lake Ellsinore, Pomona, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Etiwanda, San
Bernardino, Redlands, and of course, Ontario.
As Ambassadors Of Good Will, the band has carried greetings and programs to
many communities - Upland, Pomona, Los Angeles, Chino, Lake Ellsinore,
Disneyland, Lake Havasu, Bullhead City, and Laughlin, Nevada.
Over these last 23 years the Ontario/Chaffey Show Band has performed for over
500,000 music lovers as Television began filming each of the bands performances.
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