The Warren Junior Military Band

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The Warren Junior Military Band, originally established in Warren, Ohio, is a youth band which is now composed of students from all over the Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Area. Its members, aged 13 to 18 years old, represent schools from all over the Northeastern Ohio region, as well as a few members from other states and foreign countries.

The band, which functions both as a concert band and a marching band, performs in parades and competitions in locations all over the midwest, as well as giving exhibition performances in venues all over the world. The band, nicknamed "The Squires" after their long-time former band director Donald W. "Squire" Hurrelbrink, has performed in every major parade in the United States, as well as on the White House lawn and for several presidents. [1] Its noble and formal military style, which was preserved over the years by Hurrelbrink, is the trademark of the band to this day.[2]

[edit] Band History

The band was founded in 1927 as an all-male VFW band in Warren, under the direction of musician Lester Friend. The small band quickly grew and in 1930, Donald Hurrelbrink, who was only 21 at the time, came on as a director. Surviving through The Great Depression, the band eventually welcomed female musicians during World War II due to a shortage of members. At this time it also took the name "Warren Junior Military Band" and quickly grew to a membership of over 100 musicians. [www.wjmb.org]

Hurrelbrink served as the director of the band until his death in 1999, a tenure of almost 70 years [3]. In 1972, "Squire" Hurrelbrink was honored as a recipient of the George Washington Award by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, an award shared by such notables as Walt Disney, Herbert Hoover, and John Glenn. [4]

The band today is very active in the summer marching band competition circuit, and gives many free local performances. [5]

http://wjmb.org The Band's Official Website