Toms River Band Concerts Moving Forward Without Town's Help

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Municipal Band will play on this summer, with five concerts scheduled for the steps of the Ocean County Library.

That's because the band, which is marking its 61st year, is getting additional funding from Ocean County, band director Frank Hughes said.

The band of 30 musicians, many of them graduates of the Toms River schools, gather on the steps of the Ocean County Library as part of Ocean County’s Carousel of Music concert series. The concerts are free to the public.

The band has received funding from Ocean County and from Toms River, Hughes said; it was $3,300 from Ocean County and $10,000 from Toms River in recent years, with the money being used to pay the musicians $60 per performance.

This year Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick wanted the band to perform two additional concerts, during the day at the Toms River Senior Center at no charge; Hughes said that request presented issues because the musicians work full-time day jobs, and offered one as a compromise.

Rodrick also told Hughes he wanted a concert at Ortley Beach, but Hughes said that is unworkable because the sand can damage the instruments.

Rodrick has questioned the $10,000 cost, calling it "a lot of money ... for them to play in one spot," in a statement to the Asbury Park Press.

"The musicians are playing for 15 percent under scale," Hughes said. They do not get paid for rehearsals, which consume several hours before each performance. Hughes does not take a paycheck as director, he said.

The Ocean County Board of Commissioners has doubled its contribution, Hughes said, but that still leaves them about $3,000 short.

"We had to cancel one of the performances," Hughes said, which was the Veterans Day concert at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church. "Last year it drew 500 people to the church."

The concerts at the library are set for July 2, July 10, July 31, Aug. 7 and Aug. 14.

Hughes said he has never received a response from Rodrick to his offer of doing one concert at the Senior Center.

After waiting since April, he's moving forward with the county's funding and has launched a GoFundMe campaign to close the gap, which he hopes will allow him to add at least one more concert.

"He never said yes or no," Hughes said.