The Pride of Indy Band and Color Guard is a performing musical ensemble

Musical ensemble

A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...

 in Indianapolis

Indianapolis

Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

 of gay

Gay

Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....

, lesbian

Lesbian

Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...

, bisexual, transgender

Transgender

Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....

, and other LGBT

LGBT

LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...

-friendly musicians. Founded in March 2005, The Pride of Indy Band and Color Guard is currently the only LGBT instrumental and pageantry ensemble in Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

. The organization conducts its activities in a supportive, accepting and affirming atmosphere. The ensemble is a member of the Lesbian and Gay Band Association

Lesbian and Gay Band Association

Lesbian and Gay Band Association is an international musical organization of concert bands and marching bands. LGBA was formed in 1982 as "Lesbian and Gay Bands of America" when seven independent lesbian and gay bands met formally in Chicago....

.

History

Since the band's beginnings, the band has grown to include a performing membership of 50 musicians, which includes a marching band

Marching band

Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...

, pep band

Pep band

A pep band is an ensemble of instrumentalists who play at functions or events with the purpose of entertaining and "pepping" up a crowd. Often members of a pep band are a subset of people from a larger ensemble such as a marching band or a concert band. Pep bands are generally associated with...

, a concert band

Concert band

A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...

, a brass ensemble, a woodwind ensemble, a saxophone ensemble, and a Jazz Band

Jazz band

A jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...

. The group has a yearly performance calendar filled with over 20 concerts and special appearances at community events locally and in cities outside of Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

. The current director is Nathan Voges.

Pride of Indy Band and Color Guard (PI) Notable Milestones

• March 24, 2005 - First IN Pride 2005 Parade Committee meeting. LGBA shows interest in bringing a massed band to Indy for the Pride Parade.
• March 31, 2005 - LGBA Indy host coordinators (Stephen McCoy, Shelly Snider, and Bree Snyder) meet and decide on rehearsal dates and location of the first band reherasal for Indy area musicians.
• May 12, 2005 - First rehearsal for the area musicians. The "Pride of Indy Band and Color Guard" (PI) is adopted as the name of the organization.
• June 10, 2005 - The massed band rehearses, includes musicicans from LGBA bands in other parts of the United States.
• June 11, 2005 - The LGBA massed band marches in the IN Pride Parade and performs at the IN Pride 2005 Festival.
• June 21, 2005 - PI holds first regular rehearsal.
• November 5, 2005 - PI accepted as a "Band in Formation" with the Lesbian and Gay Band Association (LGBA).
• November 22, 2005 - The Pride of Indy Woodwind Ensemble has their first performance at the Indy Pride, Inc. Thanksgiving Dinner.
• November 28, 2005 - PI governance established.
• December 20, 2005 - PI conducts its first Holiday Concert at Broadway United Methodist Church.
• January 10, 2006 - PI receives an invitation to perform at "Spotlight," an annual featuring a cross section of the Indy arts scene, produced as an HIV/AIDS fundraising event benefiting the Indiana AIDS Fund. PI announces it will performance with vocalist Brenda Williams (local artist) for the 3,500+ people that will attend the event.
• February 13, 2006 - PI announces its 2006 Performance Schedule, including six concerts and several performances at special events in the area.
• February 19, 2006 - PI Board of Directors conducts first strategic planning meeting.
• March 12, 2006 - PI presents its first Spring Concert.
• June 6, 2006 - PI holds its first Anniversary Concert at Garfield Park in Indianapolis as a part of Pride Week.
• July 16, 2006 - PI is accepted as a full member band of LGBA at the annual Assembly of Delegates Meeting in Chicago.
• December, 2006 - PI's audience at annual Holiday Concert reaches 200. PI announces new director, Eric Knechtges. Jazz Ensemble makes their impressive debut. 2007 Performance Schedule is released.
• January, 2007 - PI accepts invitation to perform in Indy Parks concert series, two performances in June and July 2007.
• June, 2007 - PI holds its second Anniversary Concert on the lawn at the Old Firehouse Museum on Mass Avenue.
• July, 2007 - PI's concert band participates in the Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens
  Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens
  Garfield Park is a regional city park in Indianapolis, Indiana. Established in the late 19th century, it is the oldest city park in Indianapolis and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The park is located at the confluence of Pleasant Run and Bean Creeks on the near Southside of...
  
   Summer Concert Series.
• August, 2007 - PI's jazz ensemble also participates in the Garfield Park series.
• November 29, 2007 - PI's jazz ensemble held its first annual fundraiser "Time Warp" at Talbott Street nightclub. The event featured jazz and big band music from the 1930s to contemporary artists.
• October, 2008 - Nathan Voges is selected to succeed Eric Knechtges as musical director.
• November 20, 2008 - PI's jazz ensemble hald its second annual fundraiser "Time Warp 1940" at Talbott Street nightclub. The event featured the big band sounds of 1940 with guest vocalist Brenda Williams.
• March 24-28, 2010 - PI hosts the National Conference of the Lesbian and Gay Band Association (LGBA) at the Athaneum Theatre in Indianapolis.
• June 8, 2010 - PI Concert and Jazz Bands perform for 5th annual Anniversary Concert.
• June 12, 2010 - PI Marching Band and Visual Ensemble perform at 2010 Circle City Pride Parade.
• July 15, 2010 - PI Concert and Jazz Bands perform at Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens
  Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens
  Garfield Park is a regional city park in Indianapolis, Indiana. Established in the late 19th century, it is the oldest city park in Indianapolis and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The park is located at the confluence of Pleasant Run and Bean Creeks on the near Southside of...
  
   Summer Concert Series.
• December 11, 2010 - PI Concert and Jazz Bands perform Holiday Concert at Broadway United Methodist Church, Indianapolis.
• March 20, 2011 - PI Concert Band performs at Arsenal Technical High School, Indianapolis.
• June 7, 2011 - PI Concert and Jazz Bands perform for 6th annual Anniversary Concert.
• June 11, 2011 - PI Marching Band and Visual Ensemble perform at 2011 Circle City Pride Parade.
• July 28, 2011 - PI Concert and Jazz Bands perform at Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens
  Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens
  Garfield Park is a regional city park in Indianapolis, Indiana. Established in the late 19th century, it is the oldest city park in Indianapolis and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The park is located at the confluence of Pleasant Run and Bean Creeks on the near Southside of...
  
  Summer Concert Series.
• September, 2011 - PI Bands is officially recognized as a 501(c)3 Not-for-Profit organization.
• October 8, 2011 - PI Jazz Band, Pep Band and Visual Ensemble perform at Indiana AIDS Walk, Indianapolis.
• October 23, 2011 - PI Concert Band plays a combined concert with members of the Zionsville, IN Community Band at the Hebrew Center of Indianapolis.

Pride of Indy Ensembles

• Pride of Indy Concert Band
• Pride of Indy Marching Band
• Pride of Indy Pep Band
• Pride of Indy Visual Ensemble
• Pride of Indy Jazz Band
• Pride of Indy Woodwind Ensemble
• Pride of Indy Brass Ensemble
• Pride of Indy Saxophone Ensemble