The History of MACB
The Metropolitan Atlanta Community Band (MACB) was founded in October 1996 with Dr. Alfred D. Wyatt, Sr., renowned music educator with the Atlanta Public Schools, as director and Mr. Curtis Byrdsong, also a longtime Atlanta music educator, as associate director. Rehearsals began in the Benjamin E. Mays High School band room with twenty-five musicians in attendance. Because of widespread interest in a community band based in Southwest Atlanta, membership has tripled since that time.
The band’s participants and directors are all volunteers. Band members represent a diverse body of amateur and professional musicians from all walks of life—white collar, blue collar, and retirees.
MACB’s debut performances took place in December 1996 at Greenbriar Mall in Southwest Atlanta and South DeKalb Mall in Decatur, Georgia. Since that time, the band has made more than 200 appearances. Probably the most notable were performances at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial and the Air Force Memorial in Washington, DC, during Memorial Day weekend of 2015. Other highlights include:
The band’s participants and directors are all volunteers. Band members represent a diverse body of amateur and professional musicians from all walks of life—white collar, blue collar, and retirees.
MACB’s debut performances took place in December 1996 at Greenbriar Mall in Southwest Atlanta and South DeKalb Mall in Decatur, Georgia. Since that time, the band has made more than 200 appearances. Probably the most notable were performances at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial and the Air Force Memorial in Washington, DC, during Memorial Day weekend of 2015. Other highlights include:
- Alpha Kappa Alpha international convention
- Festival of Trees, Georgia World Congress Center
- Atlanta City Hall lunchtime concert
- Joint performance with the 116th Army National Guard Band
- Atlanta Summer Concerts in the Park series
- East Point Fourth of July celebration
- Joint performances with the Wendell Whalum Community Chorus
- Annual Christmas and spring concerts at Southwest Arts Center and other venues
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Before Dr. Wyatt retired from MACB in 2018, he and Mr. Byrdsong chose two additional associate directors: Vanable Moody, retired band director at Frederick Douglass High School, and Allen Ward Jr., retired Atlanta Public Schools band director and retired administrator with Cobb County Schools. Dr. Wyatt passed away in 2023, and Mr. Byrdsong retired from the band in 2024, leaving MACB under the batons of Mr. Moody and Mr. Ward.
From the beginning of MACB, performances have been free, and they will remain free until MACB no longer exists. However, donations are accepted for the band scholarship program. MACB believes in the value of music education and, therefore, strongly advocates for music education in schools. The band also awards college scholarships to musically talented, graduating high school seniors who have been accepted to a college or university. |
View Pictures Taken at Our Performance in Washington, DC
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