'Too Many Tubas' Unites Regional Musicians, Prolongs Community Band

There was a time when nearly every medium-size community had its own band.

This was especially true in Western Pennsylvania through the 1960s, when one could find community or firemen’s bands in Canonsburg, Monongahela, Bentleyville, Marianna, Springdale, West Park, Uniontown and Clairton, to name a few.

It was customary in those days for the bands to be busy through the summer months, to play in the many firemen’s parades for carnivals, or to play Sunday afternoon concerts in the town park.

Only a few of the so-called community bands still remain today. Most of them now perform in town concerts and special events, as the number of firemen’s carnivals and parades have diminished.

One such band that can trace its roots back many years is "Too Many Tubas," a concert band composed of musicians from Washington and Allegheny counties —whose director has been active in music in the Finleyville and Peters Township areas his entire life.

Paul Dolinar of Finleyville, who created "Too Many Tubas" in 2002, said the group is actually an offspring of the old Greater Monongahela Area Community Band, which was directed by Rich Pantaleo, and rehearsed at Ringgold Middle School in Finleyville.

Dolinar said a group of about eight brass instrumentalists decided they wanted to continue playing during the summer months. Of the eight players, two played the tuba.

“We were a little heavy at the bottom,” Dolinar recalled. “My wife said at the time, ‘Gee, there are too many tubas.’ The name just happened to stick.”

Today, "Too Many Tubas" is composed of approximately 25-30 musicians that come from Finleyville, Monongahela, Canonsburg, South Park, Baldwin, Whitehall and Peters Township.

Members range in age from high school students to those who have retired.

The band plays a variety of music, including marches, concert overtures, show tunes and old standards. Some members are singers who also perform with the band.

Three members from Peters Township are high school band alumnae Erika Hubbell, who plays clarinet and does vocals, and Laura Bertoni, a saxophone soloist; and alumnus Ben Pritz, another saxophone player.

“We’ve had any number of high school and college players over the years who have been a part of the band during the summer concert season,” Dolinar said.

The experience of playing in the summer with a group other than their school band is one that proves to be valuable for the student, and the school band as well.

Dolinar knows well of experiences of his own while directing bands at Monongahela (now Ringgold) High School and at California University of Pennsylvania, where his school students played through the summer in community and firemen’s bands in Monongahela and Bentleyville.

“I always felt that when my kids were involved in other bands, it was only going to make them better musicians,” he said. “I never felt there was any kind of strained relations, because if they were playing in community bands, they would be with older musicians, and the experience would just make them better.”

"Too Many Tubas" maintains an active summer concert schedule, which continues into the fall and holiday season.

“We’ll play at least six concerts this summer, but it could be more,” Dolinar said. “With the exception of Kennywood, most of our performances are at retirement homes and community festivals. For Christmas, we do some religious music at the First Presbyterian Church in Finleyville, and several others.”

Dolinar said the winter schedule will also include a concert at St. Francis of Assisi, in Finleyville, along with a performance at an evening Mass.

"Too Many Tubas" will perform this Saturday at the Washington County Health Center in Arden; the St. Francis of Assisi picnic on Aug. 21; Asbury Heights Retirement Center in Mt. Lebanon on Aug. 23; Finleyville Community Day on Sept. 10; Concordia of South Hills on Sept. 11; and Washington County Health Center on Oct. 15.

Writer's Note: A recent concert performance at Kennywood Park was a reunion of sorts for trombonist Paul Frederick, of Salt Lake City, who has played professionally in studio bands in California; and myself, who played trumpet. Both of us were members of local community and firemen’s bands, and were students in bands directed by Dolinar in his early years as a band director.