GFBLAIf you like to carry items, take walks, and wave at strangers, consider joining GFBLA Marching in our upcoming Pride Parade appearances!
We’re looking for folks to pass out water to our marching members, wheel a wagon, and bear the banner.
Enjoy the sultry sounds of Gaga and Twisted Sister as we make our way 1-2 miles down the asphalt boulevards of our county, passing adoring fans every inch of the way. We hope you’ll join us!
Email deb.williams@gfbla.com for more info
Mark your calendars and get your dancing shoes ready! See you on June 1 at 4:30pm at The Mayflower Club for a night of dancing with the GFBLA jazz band! Tickets available here!
Tickets: $15
Time: June 1st, 4:30pm-7pm
Location: The Mayflower Club 11110 Victory Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91606
What to bring: dancing shoes
Parking: free parking lot & street parking
Get your blankets and chairs ready for our ✨ free ✨ Why We Pride concert in Lafayette Park at the HOLA steps. The whole 🌈 GFBLA 🎶 family of ensembles is coming together for this one: our marching band, jazz band, saxophone quartet, and concert band.
You won’t want to miss it!❤️🧡💛💚🩵💜
Tickets: Free
Time: May 11th, 2pm-4pm
Location: Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) 2701 Wilshire Blvd #100, Los Angeles, CA 90057
What to bring: picnic blanket, chair, snacks
Parking: free street parking, metered parking
Looking forward to seeing you all at this year’s Sunday Blues concert!
Grab a blanket or a chair to get comfy for this free outdoor concert featuring our very own GFBLA Jazz band as well as HOLA Eisner Intergenerational Music and HOLA Music Studios.
ASSISTANT BAND DIRECTOR OVERVIEW:
An Assistant Band Director is responsible for helping coordinate their band in tandem with the Band Director, including recruiting members, selecting music, conducting rehearsals, identifying instrumentation needs, and other duties related to their band. The Assistant Band Director will also be part of the band committee meetings which plans and produces performances and music events within the GFBLA organization. As an artistic leader within GFBLA, the Assistant Band Director must build and sustain GFBLA’s visibility and involvement in LGBTQ+, allied, and other marginalized communities. The Assistant Band Director reports directly to their Band Director and the Artistic Director. For additional details about the responsibilities, duties and expectations of the positions, please refer to the Assistant Band Director Job Description. This position is paid at a rate of $21/hr, with an expectation of 3-5 hours of work per week on average.
ELIGIBILITY:
Anyone internal or external to GFBLA is interested in this position with a background in music and leadership experience that meets the requirements of the job description. Experience and expertise in an applicable area is highly preferred.
APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS:
The selection team will review all applications received to verify that applicants meet the requirements of the job description. If an applicant is selected to move forward, they will be asked to interview and audition by leading a rehearsal, in full or in part, at the discretion of the respective Band Director. After conducting the auditions and interviews, recommendations will be provided to the GFBLA Board of Directors.
If you have any questions, please reach out to president@gfbla.org or artisticdirector@gfbla.org.
Get ready to explore themes of queerness in various artistic mediums and join us for a narrated journey of self-discovery and acceptance!
In this concert, we will spotlight the trans and gender expansive community with a program about coming-out, transformation, and self-expression.
We are beyond thrilled to debut our program artwork by Rey (@_mugremariposa)and announce our upcoming Concert Band Concert on April 13, 7pm, with a pre-concert talk at 6, at Immanuel Presbyterian Church.
Save the date!
Tickets: $20.00 – Ticket Link
Time: April 13th, 6pm-8pm
Location: 3300 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010
What to bring: yourself, friends, family!
Parking: free street parking, metered parking
Drum Major Leonard Dootson (He/Him) is a Southern California native and a proud member of GFBLA since 1990. With a B.S. in Nursing, he currently works as a Registered Nurse Clinical Educator.
Leonard’s musical journey began in elementary school with the clarinet, followed by the French horn in high school. After a decade-long hiatus from music, he rejoined GFBLA as a trumpet player.
A passionate fan of the marching arts, Leonard is honored to serve as the Drum Major and is excited about this year’s marching season, fueled by the energy surrounding the band’s growth. He believes the marching band plays a vital role in promoting visibility, equality, and social justice.
Outside of music, Leonard enjoys camping, sailing, and restoring classic VWs, along with playing trumpet, piano, and recorder.
Drum Captain Omar Saldivar (he/him) has been with GFBLA for a few weeks and is excited to perform in parades and Pride events. Speaking of our great community, Omar mentioned, “All of the other members are very welcoming and friendly, there is a sense of community among them.”
Consider this your official prom-posal to our Spring Fling! Enjoy our marching band and color guard’s premier performance outside the Heart of Los Angeles in Lafayette Park.
Details below!
Free Entry
Time: March 16th, 12pm-1pm
Location: 615 La Fayette Park Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90057
What to bring: lawn chair, picnic blanket, snacks
Parking: free street parking, metered parking
It’s Member Spotlight time with Shelby!
Get to know her a bit below! 💕🥳
“I’m Shelby (she/hers) and I’ve been playing the flute since the 5th grade (minus a break during the pandemic)! I grew up in Wyoming and attended the University of Wyoming. I moved to California after graduating in 2022, then to Los Angeles for work in June 2023.
I joined GFBLA in September 2023 because I was looking for a community band to call home! This is such a welcoming, friendly group and we have a lot of fun—I love that we don’t take ourselves too seriously, and we can still put forward a professional performance.
Having grown up where I did, it’s nice to finally be part of a community that’s so open and proud about their identities and love of music—it makes me proud about mine!”
🩷💜💙
Are you looking for a fun, inclusive community of folks who love music as much as you do!? Visit us here to learn more and sign up!
Jazz Band says, “Step aside, Pharrell, okayyyy”💁🏽💁🏾♀️💁🏼♂️
Of course we jest, but for real, how fun was our show at The Mayflower Club (@themayflowerclub) last Thursday!? The room was vibrant and the audience raved about the energy, the songs, and the solos!
Thanks so much if you came out and better yet, if you donated to the band while you were there! We❤️ya!
If you can’t get enough jazz, the band will perform at our holiday concert, Winter Wonderband!
Now we’re not promising anything, but you will hear a Christmas fave (hint:🥜 )
Click here for tix. See ya then!
