The sounds of flutes, tubas, percussion and applause filled the Airport High School auditorium. But this was no high school band recital. It was the Columbia Community Concert Band.

In front of more than 80 volunteer musicians stood Roger Simpson, conducting the adult concert band with a smile on his face. For the band, this was its first concert of 2026. For Simpson, it was another milestone in what he has called an “incredibly welcoming” first season.

“I’ve felt right at home,” said the Columbia resident. “I didn’t realize how much conducting meant to me and how much it did for me. I am so happy to be able to wave a little white stick and make musical magic happen with some of the best people in Columbia.”

It has been 45 years since the 14 original members started the band in 1981. Now, at almost six times that size, the group rehearses Thursday evenings for two hours a week in the Airport High band room, working on an average of five concerts each season.

There are no auditions. As long as members have an instrument and the basic skills, they are welcome to play. This open-door philosophy has drawn in Columbia residents from all walks of life — math teachers, military veterans, engineers, college students and retirees alike. They all share a love of music that, for many, stretches back decades.

Simpson came to the podium through what he called “a funny story.” He’d known founding conductor Bill Ackerman for years when he spotted Ackerman’s social media post last summer announcing the band’s search for a new conductor. Simpson reached out to check in with his friend but ended up applying for the position himself.

It’s a role he’s well-prepared for. Before beginning his current job overseeing over 790,000 students and nearly 3,500 arts educators as an education associate for visual and performing arts at the South Carolina Department of Education, Simpson spent nearly 20 years as a high school band director. He holds a masters degree in conducting from the American Band College of Sam Houston State University.

His approach to his new position draws on that background, though he said he recognizes that adult ensembles are different from high school groups.

“Adults come to the band with more lived experiences and a greater variety of experiences,” he said. “These experiences allow adults to connect with the music on a deeper level, which often leads to stronger emotional connections and greater feelings of joy as a result of the music-making experience.”

That sense of community is something longtime members say defines the band. Lisa Stone, who has played French horn with the band off and on since 1999 and now serves as the band’s secretary, said she also faced challenges along the way. She has managed ADHD while making music but hasn’t let it stop her.

“I think my discipline over these 30-plus years has allowed me to continue in music despite this challenge,” she said.

For Irma Van Scoy, who joined the band in 2019 after retiring from the University of South Carolina, the band is a return to something she’d once nearly made her career. She plays flute and serves as the band’s librarian, managing a collection of nearly 600 pieces of music.

“Getting to know the people in the band will stick with me,” she said. “I know I will also always be in awe that after all those years away from making music as a central part of my life, I have gotten the opportunity to follow that part of my dream.”

Maggie Malick is a retired aerospace engineer who played tuba for the Washington Commanders’ marching band and once opened a winery in Virginia. She found the band through an internet search while scouting retirement locations.

“When my husband and I were looking for places to retire, one of my criteria was that there had to be a community band nearby,” she said.

The band’s February concert featured “Amazing Grace,” “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and a Neil Diamond medley. It’s the kind of varied program that reflects the band’s membership – music played by all kinds of different people.

Looking ahead, Simpson has plans. The band’s next concert, “Spring Declarations,” is set for April 19 at 4 p.m. in the Airport High School Auditorium. After that, the band will partner with another band and play in a different location: It will join the Lexington Community Band for a joint Memorial Day concert at the Icehouse Amphitheater in Lexington. Next season, Simpson hopes to feature a variety of vocalists and instrumental soloists, while the board works on a new plan to explore grant funding for more new initiatives.

Every Thursday night, the band members leave their careers and responsibilities behind, pick up their instruments and play.

“The Columbia Community Concert Band provides a true sense of recreation for its members,” Simpson said. “Each week, these members come from careers mostly outside of the music field to find rest and to destress through making music.”