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MetroGnomes Invite You to a Spring Swing!
Grab your dancing shoes and travel back in time for a night of big band swing classics! 

Our MetroGnomes Stage Band has favorites from Glen Miller, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and more in store. 

Start the evening by learning a few swing steps from our dance instructor at 7:30 PM. 

Live music starts at 8:00 PM. 

You can dance the night away, or enjoy the show from your table. We also have drinks and desserts to keep you in a festive mood.

The Spring Swing! will take place at the 


Free street parking is available.

Tickets for the event, including two drink coupons, are $20 and may be purchased at the door on the day of the event.

"Spring Swing" raises funds for Atlanta Freedom Bands as we prepare to host the Lesbian and Gay Band Association's international conference this fall. We look forward to seeing you there!

Join this event on Facebook, invite your friends to the Spring Swing and show your support for the MetroGnomes and Atlanta Freedom Bands.

Fantastic Holiday!
Atlanta Freedom Bands began its 20th performance season with "Holiday Fantasy", bringing together the AFB Concert Band and the MetroGnomes Stage Band for an evening of fantastic takes on holiday favorites. 

The concert also featured the debut of AFB’s newly named Music Director, Dr. Kathleen Nicole Fallin.

A record audience for an Atlanta Freedom Bands concert performance filled the sanctuary and balcony of the North Decatur Presbyterian Church and enjoyed a program that explored some of the more fantastical elements that make the holidays such a magical time. The evening featured pieces evoking toys coming to life, a meeting 
between Saint Nick and James Bond, a mixup when Halloween discovers Christmas, and a special visitor from the North Pole. The audience also joined in the music making with  a swing-along sing-along!

The program included these selections performed by the AFB Concert Band:
A Christmas Fantasy by Roland Barrett
March of the Toys by Victor Herbert
Greensleeves Fantasie by Anne McGinty
Selections from "A Nightmare Before Christmas" by Danny Elfman
The Eighth Candle by Steve Reisteter

These selections performed by the MetroGnomes Stage Band:
It's the Holiday Season by Kay Thompson
Santa Baby by Joan Javits
Big Band Holiday, arranged by Carl Strommen

And, these selections performed by both groups together:
Good Swing Wenceslas, arranged by Sammy Nestico
Grown Up Christmas List by David Foster & Linda Thompson-Jenner
Secret Agent Santa, by Jeff Simmons
Christmas Pop Sing-A-Long, arranged by James Ployhar

2012 Pride
The Atlanta Freedom Bands marching season reached it's peak with the 2012 Atlanta Pride Festival parade.  

Leading the marching band was the Atlanta Freedom Bands Color Guard which drew raves and applause from onlookers who enjoyed their routines and eye catching costumes, colorful flags, pom-poms and a fierce, masked baton twirler.

The Marching Band and Color Guard will close the 2012 marching season with performances at the AIDS Walk and the Little 5 Points, Grant Park and Decatur Halloween parades.

Check out our Upcoming Events for information on when and where you can enjoy an Atlanta Freedom Bands ensemble performance.

Vive la musique!  Vive l'amour! Vive la France!
On Saturday July 28, Atlanta Freedom Bands led a record breaking audience a guided musical tour of la belle France with music from favorite French composers.  

The voyage stretched from Paris to Provence and from the Révolution to modern times.  

The program featured favorites and lesser-known gems by Hector Berlioz, Camille Saint-Saëns, Jaques Offenbach, François Gossec, Serge Lancen, Darius Milhaud and Claude Debussy, who celebrated his 150th birthday this year.  


Atlanta Freedom Bands Receives First-Ever Grant from the Georgia Council for the Arts!
On July 3rd, the Georgia Council for the Arts awarded Atlanta Freedom Bands a $1,600 matching grant to assist in the production of its planned concert for March 2013.  In awarding the grant, the review panel commended the organization for being a “large, diverse group that maintains a high standard of excellence” and its “partnerships with LGBT groups of all ages.”
 
Atlanta Freedom Bands President, Cliff Norris remarked, “We have worked very hard over the past several years, steadily improving our musicianship and constantly striving to be a source of pride for the LGBT community in Atlanta and in our state.  Receiving a grant from the Georgia Council for the Arts is a great honor and recognition for our band.”
 
The grant provides a dollar-for-dollar match of community and corporate support.  “We are looking to our community for support in meeting the goal,” said Mr. Norris, “whether through ticket sales, program ads or donations to the band.”


¡Una Fiesta Musical!
On Saturday May 19, the Atlanta Freedom Bands guided an audience on a musical journey South of the Border.  

With a repertoire which included pieces by composers hailing from Mexico to Argentina, the concert program featured the full concert band as well as six different chamber ensembles.  

Together the groups performed selections which invited the audience to dance the tango and huapango, savor a samba from Brazil, engage in the music of indigenous peoples, and high-step through lively marches.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
On Saturday December 17, the Concert Band delivered a holiday performance entitled "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year".  The repertoire included selections spanning multiple cultures and beliefs and included some familiar and popular pieces as well.

This was the first Concert Band performance under the baton of Kurt Wackerly our recently appointed Associate Director.

The audience also enjoyed an Atlanta Freedom Bands Wind Quintet performance of "March of the Toys" from Babes in Toyland.  

Adding to the festivities was a quartet of dancing elves, also known as the Atlanta Freedom Bands Color Guard, who choreographed festive dance routines to a recording of "Funky Christmas" by Nicholas Caldwell and an encore performance of "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by the Concert Band.  

Atlanta Freedom Marching Band Plays a Part in History 
The Atlanta Freedom Marching Band was invited  by the American Veterans for Equal Rights to perform at a Retreat Ceremony celebrating the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" prohibition on openly gay soldiers.  The ceremony took place on Monday September 19, at Piedmont Park.
(photo courtesy of thegavoice.com)

Soul of the South Summer Concert

On Saturday evening July 23, 2011 the Atlanta Freedom Bands Concert Band delivered a summer concert entitled "Soul of the South".  This was a successful event for the organization.

The program included music that reflects the traditions, history and spirit of the southern United States from American composers including George Gershwin, Julie Giroux, David Holsinger, John Philip Sousa, James Swearingen and Frank Ticheli.  

Under the baton of Music Director Dr. Patrick Carney, the repertoire was one of the most challenging the Concert Band has performed to date.

The Concert Band was pleased to have several members of the Charlotte Pride Band join them for this performance.

This was also an inaugural event for the Atlanta Freedom Bands Woodwind Quintet which performed an eclectic assortment of movements from pieces composed by Scott Joplin and William Grant Still.

Taking it to the streets!
The Atlanta Freedom Bands started the 2011 marching season at the Inman Park Festival parade on Saturday, April 30.  

There are a number of Marching Band events planned for this year, culminating in the Atlanta Pride celebration in October. 

The Marching Band is actively looking for musicians eager to  play fun and "moving" music.  If you are interested in joining us for this marching season contact us immediately.  

The marching band performs at numerous events throughout the season.  Many performances are stand still and some are true parade performances.  Musicians and Color Guard are invited to join us to "Come Out and Play!"

Check the Upcoming Events to learn when you can enjoy a performance by one of the Atlanta Freedom Bands ensembles.

BRAVO!
On Sunday afternoon April 3, 2011 the Atlanta Freedom Bands Concert Band delivered a spring concert entitled "Bravo! A Night at the Opera".  This was a milestone event for the organization.  

The music was some of the most challenging the concert band has ever performed. The program included overtures from opera classics and favorites such as Turandot, The Marriage of Figaro and The Bartered Bride.

Other LGBA organizations from Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia and Phoenix joined the Atlanta Concert Band for this performance.  This was the largest number of musicians the concert band has ever had on stage. 

Under the baton of Music Director Dr. Patrick Carney, the Concert Band delivered an emotional and energetic performance.  

This was also an inaugural event for the Atlanta Freedom Bands Saxophone Ensemble which performed familiar selections from the opera Carmen.  This group is the newest ensemble in the Atlanta Freedom Bands organization.

John Lemley from WABE 90.1 FM, was the special guest host for this performance.

Hope for the Holidays 
On Saturday, December 8, 2010 the Atlanta Freedom Bands concert band delivered a performance entitled "Hope for the Holidays".  This was an evening of music dedicated to the Emory Hope Clinic and the Evolution Project.

The performance repertoire included titles and scores with themes of remembrance, spirituality and hope with works by Frank Ticheli, James Swearingen, Johannes Brahms, James Curnow, Sean O’Loughlin, Leroy Anderson and more.

In addition there were a few traditional holiday tunes in keeping with the spirit of the season.

Each year, World AIDS Day offers a time to remember those whom we have lost, reflect on ways to improve the lives of people living with HIV and organize the community to take action.  Atlanta Freedom Bands has partnered with Emory’s Hope Clinic and AID Atlanta’s Evolution Project to wrap these ideas in a sense of hope for better prevention, treatments and possibly even a vaccine in the future.

2010 Pride
The Atlanta Freedom Bands ended it's 2010 marching season with the Atlanta Pride parade and several stand still events including an on stage performance at the opening ceremony for the 2010 AIDS Walk and a final performance at the Halloween showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Historic Plaza Theater in midtown Atlanta.

The 2010 Atlanta Pride parade was the highlight of the season with the Marching Band sporting new uniform shirts.  A newly formed Color Guard drew raves from the crowds along the parade route as well as at performances in Piedmont Park following the parade. 

Check out our Upcoming Events for information on when and where you can enjoy an Atlanta Freedom Bands ensemble performance.