As part of the band's tenth anniversary, director Dane Newlove wanted to commission a piece dedicated to the members of the St Marys Ohio Area Community Band. The resulting piece was a fanfare meant to capture the joy of music-making felt by everyone in the ensemble over the last decade.

"The St. Marys Area Community Band was formed in the summer of 2014 to give a performance opportunity to residents of St. Marys and the Auglaize County area. They perform a wide variety of music, consisting of traditional symphonic band literature, marches, patriotic, popular, big band, Broadway musicals as well as other contemporary works. Soloists from within the band, as well as guest performers from the surrounding area are routinely featured. They have commissioned several new works for wind band, including “Summer Fanfare” and “One Small Step” in honor of the 50th anniversary of Auglaize County native Neil Armstrong’s moon landing by Robert H. Sloan; and “Excursion: A Ride on the Erie Canal” by Lisa Galvin, written last summer in celebration of the 200th anniversary of St. Marys."

Dane Newlove retired following the 2012-13 school year after a thirty year career as a music educator, the last twenty-seven as Director of Bands and Performing Arts Department Chair for the St. Marys City Schools. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Bowling Green State University and a Masters Degree in Educational Administration from Wright State University. Newlove is a member of Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity; the American School Band Directors Association, and the Percussive Arts Society. Dane is an active performer and is the director and founder of the St. Marys Area Community Band.

He resides in St. Marys with his wife Karen, a retired geometry teacher at Memorial High School. They have three grown children, Lindsey, Amanda, and Troy, as well as three grandchildren.

Special thanks to Dane Newlove for his enthusiastic support of this commission. Thank you as well to the members of the St Marys Ohio Area Community Band for their hard work in preparing this piece.

"Fanfare for a Joyous Decade" received its world premiere on June 21, 2024, with the St Marys Ohio Area Community Band, conducted by Dane Newlove, in St Henry, Ohio

(Program notes provided by the composer. Please use these program notes for all performances.)