Community Bands/Ensembles in San Diego County, CA
One thing I regularly talk to people about are the community bands in the San Diego area. I wish band programs and music teachers did a much better job advertising these ensembles because there are many people who want to continue playing an instrument as a hobby after they’re done with school, but they don’t know where to go/if they can go anywhere to play their instrument as part of an ensemble as an adult. I’ve seen numerous adults quit playing an instrument because they tried to do it on their own but couldn’t stay motivated, and understandably so. There hasn’t really been a list made in recent times to reflect the community band scene, but since I have a website now, I might as well make one.
I’m going to try and make this list as comprehensive as I can possibly can make it, but there’s probably not going to be too much structure to it. These bands can vary wildly in regards to their performance schedule, their level of musicianship, their attendance policy, etc., but there are a few common threads among these bands:
They normally don’t pay their players; they’re volunteer organizations
Many of them don’t have formal auditions; this is especially true of those who are geared towards adults that haven’t played their instrument in years/decades
Though some of these groups are technically associated with a university/community college, the vast majority of members are not students of the related academic institution (there are some notable exceptions to this, but that’ll likely be a separate list)
Some of these ensembles are offended by the term “community band”; that term carries the connotation of not having a particularly high level of musicianship, which may or may not be true depending on the ensemble
Some of them have websites; some don’t; most of the ones that do have websites don’t regularly update them
If you have an interest in joining a particular ensemble, it’s always a good idea to contact a member/the director of the group beforehand
If they’re good enough, many of these community bands will allow students to play
If there’s a group that’s not on this list that you would like for me to add, send me an email at connorthetrumpetist@gmail.com and give me some details about the group. If the group has a website or any kind of social media, links to that would be appreciated. On to the list:
New Horizons Band (Wind Band): The “New Horizons" program is a nationwide effort, so it’s common to find bands with this name in many different areas of the country. For our area, the New Horizons Bands are located at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad. From what I was told, they have three different levels of band, and they all rehearse on Wednesdays. If you’re a beginner/are worried about not being “good enough” on your instrument, these bands would be a safe place to start.
Website: https://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/education/new-horizons-band
Coastal Communities Concert Band (Wind Band): This band has been around for awhile and has been pretty good throughout that entire time. They rehearse on Monday nights in Encinitas. I’ve subbed in this group from time-to-time. I would not recommend this group to someone who just started playing their instrument again after a years-long hiatus.
Website: https://cccband.com/
North County Winds (Wind Band):I’ve been a member of this band for several years. They rehearse on Thursday nights in the Poway area. I wouldn’t recommend this group to beginners.UPDATE 07/23/2026 - I can no longer recommend this ensemble in good faith. To make a very long story short, there was someone in the ensemble who was treating me horribly. I stood up to the person and wasn’t kowtowing to their every demand, and the leadership (known as “the board”) decided to virtue signal about the language I used in an email sent to the awful person in question. THEY DIDN'T EVEN ASK ME ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED, and believe me when I say that a lot of horrible things happened; I don’t take the blame for anything because I did nothing wrong. I’ve had plenty of bad experiences in ensembles before (including some of the ones on this list), but this is the first time I feel inclined to write about it publicly since nothing this bad has happened before.
Let me be very clear: there are many good people in this ensemble (in terms of musicianship and personality). I think there are some good people in the leadership of this ensemble as well, but evidently, a majority of the leadership aren’t that way. If you decide to join this ensemble, be aware that some people on the board appear to be spineless cowards who love to virtue signal. Here’s a blog post that tells the whole story.
Website: https://ncwinds.org/
Kearny Mesa Concert Band (Wind Band): I sat in on a rehearsal once back in 2023, but I don’t remember much about this band. They rehearse in Kearny Mesa (who would’ve guessed) on Tuesday nights. As it states on their website, they don’t require auditions, so even if it’s been awhile since you last played in an ensemble, this band is willing to have you.
Website: https://www.kearnymesaconcertband.com/
Pomerado Community Band (Wind Band): I never sat in with this band, so I don’t know much about them. They rehearse on Wednesday nights in Poway.
Website: https://pomeradoband.org/
San Diego City Guard Band (Wind Band): I don’t know much about this band either, but they rehearse on Tuesday nights in Balboa Park.
Website: https://sdcityguardband.org/
San Diego Concert Band (Wind Band): I don’t know much about this band, but they rehearse on Thursday evenings in La Mesa.
Website: https://sandiegoconcertband.org/
Pacific Coast Concert Band (Wind Band): I sat in on a rehearsal with this band once, but that was awhile ago, and they’ve changed directors since then. They rehearse on Thursday nights in San Marcos.
Website: https://www.pccband.org/?page_id=71
Coronado Concert Band (Wind Band): I don’t know anything about them. From what I’ve heard, they rehearse on Thursday nights and they’re [naturally] located in Coronado.
Website: https://www.coronadoconcertband.org/about
Hillcrest Wind Ensemble (Wind Ensemble): I’ve heard they’re pretty good, and from what I understand, the ensemble keeps instrumentation to one-on-a-part. They rehearse on Monday nights in Bay Park.
Website: https://www.hillcrestwindensemble.com/join
Villa Musica Ensembles (Wind Ensemble and Orchestra); SUMMER ONLY: I’ve heard that these ensembles are very good, but you have to audition for them, and they’re only during the summer time.
Website: https://villamusica.org/vmso/
North Coast Symphony Orchestra (Full Orchestra): I’ve subbed in this ensemble a few times. They rehearse on Tuesday nights in Encinitas.
Website: https://www.northcoastsymphony.com/join-ncso.html
Poway Symphony Orchestra (Full Orchestra): I don’t know anything about this ensemble either. They rehearse on Monday nights in Poway.
Website: https://www.powaysymphonyorchestra.org/home
Greater San Diego Music Coterie (Full Orchestra?): I’m clueless about this ensemble as well. They rehearse on Tuesday nights near Balboa Park.
Website: https://gsdmusicoterie.org/about-us/chamber-orchestra/
East County Community Orchestra (Full Orchestra): This ensemble has no website, and I couldn’t find any official social media presence - though some of the members have posted pictures - but thankfully, I know the director. They rehearse on Thursday nights from 5:00PM-6:30PM at the El Cajon Elks Lodge. If you have an interest in joining this ensemble, send me an email and I can send you the director’s contact info. The director’s name is Jeff Dooley.
Alwani Middle Eastern Orchestra (Hybrid Orchestra?): I just found out about this ensemble. I’m not sure of their exact instrumentation,
Website: https://www.alwaniorchestra.com/
La Jolla Symphony and Chorus (Full Orchestra): This ensemble has been around for a long time, and some of the players I know who are in this ensemble are quite good, so I imagine the ensemble is as well. They are located in, you guessed it, La Jolla, and rehearse on Mondays.
Website: https://www.ljsc.org/join-our-orchestra/
New City Sinfonia (Full Orchestra): I just found out about them; they rehearse on Thursdays at Grossmont College.
Website: https://www.newcitysinfonia.com/
Finest City Wind Orchestra (Wind Ensemble): This ensemble can only be called a community band in the strictest sense of the word. I prefer to describe it as a semi-professional wind ensemble. They are typically one to a part - very little doubling/the sections are small - and they are very picky with their players. You can ask to join, but most people get in by being invited. They rehearse on Tuesday nights, but they only hold 4 rehearsals before a concert (they don’t rehearse year-round). The rehearsal location varies wildly.
Website: https://www.finestmusic.org/fcwo
Finest City Brass Ensemble (Brass and Percussion): Under the same organization as the FCWO, this ensemble only uses brass and percussion, but the sections are generally a fair bit bigger. It’s of a similar level of musicianship compared to the Wind Orchestra, so they’re still very picky with their players. They will typically hold 5 rehearsals before a concert on Tuesday nights (they don’t rehearse year-round). The rehearsal location varies wildly.
Website: https://www.finestmusic.org/brass-ensemble
San Diego British Brass Band: They rehearse on Sunday evenings in Tierrasanta.
Website: https://www.predsci.com/~pete/sdbbb/index.html
Hornswoggle (French Horns and a Tuba or 2?): This is a french horn ensemble with a lot of its own original arrangements. They rehearse on Saturday mornings near Balboa Park.
Website: https://hornswoggle.org/
Youth Orchestras
This next list is going to be a lot smaller. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I found out about youth orchestras. For most schools, they don’t have a full orchestra since many of them lack string programs, so youth orchestras are a great way for young musicians to get orchestral experience. Typically, the musicians you’ll meet in youth orchestras are going to be better than the ones you’ll meet at your school. If you’re a student and are interested in getting good at playing your instrument, I would highly recommend trying to join a youth orchestra since they tend to be a very different experience than from most ensembles you’ll get a chance to play in at school. On to the list:
East County Youth Symphony (Full Orchestra): I just found out about them recently. They rehearse on Friday nights near the Bonita area.
Website: https://www.ecysymphony.com/adivi.php
San Diego Civic Youth Orchestra (Full orchestras and a wind band): Commonly referred to as just “CYO”, I was a member of this organization for a short while in high school. They’re located in Escondido and rehearse on Saturday mornings.
Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra (Full orchestras and a wind band): I was a member for my last two years of high school. They rehearse in Solana Beach on Saturdays (morning to mid-afternoon depending on the ensemble.)
Website: https://www.mmyo.org/who-we-are
San Diego Youth Symphony (Orchestras and Wind Bands): This appears to be potentially the largest youth orchestra organization in SD County. They rehearse on Saturday or Sunday (depending on the ensemble) at Balboa Park.
Website: https://www.keynote-music.org/sdys/
Community Big (Jazz) Bands
For those of you that don’t know, “big band” is a term that refers to a very specific type of band; many people would refer to them as just “jazz bands”. The big bands that I’m going to list here are quite different in what they play and how you can even start playing with them. For some of these bands, it’s only possible to get in via an invitation by a member of the band. Calling some of these bands “community big bands” isn’t even all that accurate for that reason alone. If you’re interested in playing with any of these bands and there’s no contact info for you to use, send me an email and I’ll see if I can get you in contact with the bandleader(s) of whichever band(s) interest you.
When it comes to websites, social media, and an online footprint, I would say the big bands have less of that than the regular community (wind) bands, so it can be very difficult to find information about them online.
Big Band Express: I’ve subbed with this band a decent amount. Commonly styled as “BBX”, they do read-throughs of their music every Sunday night from 6:00PM-8:00PM at the Encinitas Elks Lodge. The bandleader is the drummer, Mike Masessa.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BigBandExpress/
Coastal Cities Jazz Band: If I’m remembering correctly, this band started out as a big band that was under the same organization as the Coastal Communities Concert Band, but it got good enough that it became its own independent entity. I was lucky enough to meet the man who founded the band, Gary Adcock, several months before he passed away. I’ve subbed with this band numerous times. This band is really good, and they play with high-level guest artists (Andy Martin and Willie Murillo to name a few) The current bandleader is the guitarist, Chris Montgomery. They rehearse on every other Tuesday evening in various locations.
Website: https://coastalcitiesjazzband.com/
The Moonlight Serenade Orchestra: They are located in Mira Mesa and rehearse Wednesday evenings from 6:30PM-8:30PM. I’ve been told the location is the “Hourglass Community Center”.
Instagram (not sure if it’s active): https://www.instagram.com/msobigband/
Coronado Big Band: They rehearse on Tuesday nights at Coronado High School. The bandleader is Rolf Olsen, and this band plays some really hard stuff. It might be the hardest material I’ve seen for big band. I’ve subbed with them a few times, and each time has always been challenging in a very fulfilling way. If you’re a really good player and are looking for a serious challenge, this is the band you’re looking for.
Website: https://coronadobigband.com/
American Flyboys: They rehearse on Tuesday nights in the UTC area.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/americanflyboys/
OSO Big Band: This band rehearses on Tuesday mornings at the Oceanside Elks Lodge. The bandleader is Rick Evans.
Jazz Project Big Band: This band plays some fairly hard material, and I’ve subbed with them numerous times in the past. They rehearse on Monday nights in El Cajon. The bandleader’s name is Dick Lawrence. From what I can see, there is no social media or website, but they rehearse at a boatyard, and said boatyard will sometimes post about the rehearsal happening on their Facebook page, so I’ll link that.
Facebook Profile (for Koehler Kraft Boatyard): https://www.facebook.com/KoehlerKraftBoatyard
Elktones Big Band: This band doesn’t appear to have any social media or online presence; the bandleader is Dick Lawrence. They rehearse on Thursday mornings at the El Cajon Elks Lodge.
Downbeat Big Band: I’ve been told they are located in the east side of La Mesa and they rehearse every other Sunday.
Website: https://www.thedownbeatbigband.com/
Big Band Jazz Hall of Fame: They rehearse on Monday nights in the Vista area (Willow Creek was mentioned), but only twice a month.
A picture of me with the Coastal Cities Jazz Band (bottom right corner). ————————————————>
