Jaunett Porter stands on a footstool in front of the Riverdale City Band at the Riverdale Community Center. With a white baton, she counts a measure before prompting the band to begin playing.
   “Let’s all start at the same time,” Porter cautions.
   The band rehearses “The Star-Spangled Banner,” then “The Blues Brothers Revue.”
   Toes begin tapping as music flows.
   Paul Zelazny taps his leg with one hand while holding his silver trumpet in the other. He is one who didn’t need to dust off his trumpet and relearn his music when he joined the group.
   “It’s a hobby,” Zelazny said.
   The Riverdale Community Band is rehearsing twice a week to prepare for upcoming Fourth of July performances, Porter said.
   “We only play fun music. I started the group because we don’t have the culture around us we should have. So far, we’ve done really well. The City Council is very supportive,” she said.
   The Riverdale City Band even became a matchmaker.
   It was while playing in the band that clarinetist Angela Higgs met fellow band member Curtis Keele. They eventually married.
   Angela’s father, Kevin, is a member as well. He, his wife and all five children play instruments, and the Riverdale City Band has snagged him, his wife and three of the kids.
   Higgs plays the tuba, his wife plays alto sax and two sons play bassoon and trombone.
   “All of our children play the piano, and several sing. Music is a big part of a child’s education,” Higgs said.
   The Riverdale City Band has performed in parades, at sunrise services and at Raptors baseball games, as well as at other events.
   Porter plays all woodwinds, the oboe, the bass and the violin, but the clarinet is her main instrument.
   “I am a one-woman orchestra, but I sure enjoy conducting them,” she said.
   When she lived in the Los Angeles area, she was a member of a community band.
   “There were not a lot of options there. You were either in a gang or joined something positive,” she said.
   Most city bands have no tryouts, and anyone who plays an instrument may show up for practice.
   Ogden also has a community band.
   “They do different things than we do,” Porter said. “We actually have members in both bands.”
   Then there are bands in various Davis County cities.
   The Layton Main Street Band started in the winter of 2004 and meets for rehearsals every Tuesday evening at Central Davis Junior High so it can play at various city functions. The band has 20 to 30 members at each performance.
   “Members range in age from junior high age to the 70s. And there is a range of skill levels from intermediate to professional,” said Todd Neville, who plays trumpet in the band and has helped manage the group.
   Richard Heath, who is the director of the Central Davis Junior High Band, directs the Layton Main Street Band.
   “We play concert marches, show tunes, medleys and the Armed Forces Salute, jazz and swing,” Neville said.
   Clearfield organized a city band at the end of March. It began with just 15 members, with the youngest in seventh grade.
   “Clearfield didn’t have music for the Fourth of July parade, so we put out notices for starting a band,” said Marliss Scott of the Clearfield Recreation Department. “The biggest challenge was to find a director.”
   Scott mentioned it to a friend, Gretchen Myers, who has a degree in vocal music. She took the reins and drove the band on.
   “Band is a real new experience. We started with nothing — we had no music,” Myers said.
   As luck would have it, the Weber State University music department was editing out some of its music, so the Clearfield band lay claim to the leftovers. With a small budget, it was able to purchase more, Myers said.
   “We have a real nice combination. It is a neat opportunity for those who love music and haven’t played in years to bring their abilities up. Those with less experience get to sit with those more experienced.”