July 5 2005
“Oakland Municipal Band Passes the Baton”
Inside Bay Area, Oakland, CA
The leader of the band is retired, and his eyes are growing old, but Dwight LaRue Hall came back for his final opus.
After 17 years as the conductor of the Oakland Municipal Band, Hall played his farewell concert on Independence Day, kicking off the band's 94th annual summer concert series. He came out of retirement temporarily, flying here from Arizona for his last concert.
"He's only the fourth conductor in the 94-year history of the band, “said Anne Woodell, chairwoman of the Friends of the Oakland Municipal Band. "He had a good, cheerful spirit…(He) didn’t miss a beat.”
The band concerts are at the bandstand in Lakeshore Park next to lake Merritt. On Monday, Hall passed the baton to Robert Farrington, a music professor, freelance woodwind musician and the next conductor of the Oakland Municipal Band.
Farrington, 53, says Hall has done a nice job during his many years of service.
“It’s an honor to follow Dwight,” he said. “I will continue to bring good music to audiences, and get kids and families involved.”
“We’re pleased and excited to have Robert,” said Woodell. “He came highly recommended. Farrington will be the fifth conductor of the band since 1911.”
The Oakland Municipal Band is the second oldest municipal band in California, and one of the oldest in the country. Since 1911, the band has provided free public concerts and, at its peak, performed up to 17 times a year.
It is quite a feat to organize the 35 musicians in the band, Farrington said. “We (typically) have one hour of rehearsal before a two-hour performance,” he said, noting a lot of work goes on behind the scenes to prepare.
Not a newcomer, he has been an off-and-on woodwind player for the band for 15 years, and has played an instrument for most of this life.
His music career has led him to perform with Tony Bennett and Linda Ronstadt, from Hawaii to Italy, although most of his professional gigs have been in the Bay Area.
As the director of bands at DeAnza College in Cupertino, Farrington is accustomed to stepping up to the conductor’s podium as well as into the orchestra pit. He plays clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piccolo and flute.
In addition, he conducts the Wind and Jazz Ensembles at DeAnza College and has performed with the San Francisco, San Jose and Marin symphonies.
With a Bachelor’s degree in music from UCLA and a master’s degree in music education from California State University, East Bay, Farrington began his teaching career 30 years ago at Fremont High School.
It seems he’ll still be teaching this summer, starting July 10.
“I intend to bring my children to the concerts, “said Farrington, eager to spread his passion for music to others. “A lot of good things can come from this.”
All concerts will be held at the bandstand in Lakeside Park next to Lake Merritt, between 1 and 3 PM on Sundays.