There is something about the sound of a band that raises the spirits, increases adrenalin and brings back all those wonderful childhood memories of a hometown parade.

When I was in elementary school in Red Oak, Iowa, my older brother was a drum major and my sister a majorette in the high school marching band. I would run to the intersection where I could see them high-stepping to the pounding musical rhythms.

I recently met with Mike Simpson at Common Grounds in downtown Renton and asked him about the Renton City Concert Band. Mike has taught music for many years, at both Renton and Lindbergh high schools. (Coincidently, the band leader’s last name back then in Red Oak was also Simpson!)

Mike told me, “Even before my time, in the ‘30s and ‘40s, Renton and Bremerton had the two biggest music programs in Washington state.”

What began as the Renton Parks and Recreation Community Band in 1986, has grown to what is now the Renton City Concert Band. Originally the group was the brainchild of legendary local musicians Jim Young, Randy Rockhill and Harley Brumbaugh.

They knew that there were lots of great local band musicians that would like to get together and play in a concert band. At first, their only goal was to read through some band music on Thursday evenings in the Renton High School band room. It soon became apparent that this was a group that wanted to perform!

With solid support from Renton city officials, the Renton Community Services Department, experienced leadership within the band and many appreciative audiences, the band has become an important part of the community’s culture.

Mike’s favorite instrument is the French horn which he fell in love with in the sixth grade. His love of music was encouraged by his teacher at Olympia High School, Wayne Timmerman, who persuaded Mike not only to play but to teach music. He went on to receive his masters in music education at the University of Washington.

Mike remembers the early days of the city band marching through Renton in the Renton Western Days parade, all decked out in cowboy outfits. This was before the start of Renton River Days.

The band was asked to march in the Sea Fair Parade in Seattle by corporate sponsor, founder of Red Robin Restaurants who is a Renton native. Led by a group of professional dancers, the band played their original arrangement requested by Red Robin: “When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin’ Along.”

The band’s next performance is their annual Holiday Concert, 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at the IKEA Performing Arts Center.

Mike said, “It’s a great way to celebrate the season and we will also have some holiday sing-along tunes. Then in March, we will be premiering a newly commissioned piece created for 15 other bands.

“Community band is my passion,” Mike told me. “I want to support the idea of a life-long pursuit of music that starts with music teachers causing kids to get excited by playing an instrument in the fifth or sixth grade.

“I see the same goofy stuff in my 88-year-old students as in the young ones,” he continued. “People want to have fun, and music is fun. But don’t let the 88-year-olds know I said that I teach them. They always say that they teach me!”

Mike said that sometimes when he is really tired and doesn’t feel like going to a rehearsal, his wife encouragingly tells him, “Come on – you know you’ll come back feeling better then you do now because you love what you do!”