In our tight-knit community, supporting our local bands and music students isn’t just an option—it’s a calling. Right now, we need your help: to support our music program, we must find a new home show venue for Saturday, September 20. Without one, our beloved bands won’t get the spotlight they deserve.
In the past, the event has been held in Bellingham because our local fields have never been the right size to meet the show’s requirements. That’s why securing an alternate venue this year is critical.
We reached out to Mr. Todd Shafer, Director of Instrumental Music at Blackstone-Millville Regional School District (BMRSD), for additional details, but had not heard back by the time of posting.
The Challenge: Finding a Home Show Venue
Since May, Mr. Todd Shafer, has tirelessly searched for a one-year substitute site for this year’s home show. Due to a sports schedule change, our usual field is no longer available. Despite dozens of calls and emails, the search has been full of refusals and radio silence. With no site secured, we risk losing this year’s performance chance. To support our music program and help raise the curtain for our students, we need your help to connect with a school district or facility that can accommodate the following:
- Saturday, September 20, 4 PM to 9:30 PM
- Access to restrooms
- Stadium lights
- Bleachers
- Press box
- On-site parking for buses, equipment trucks, and spectators
If you think you may know of a possible location—or if your connection might already be one of the sites that turned us down—please reach out to Mr. Shafer. He’s ready to help confirm details and make this show happen.
Why This Matters: Supporting Our Music Program
Our community takes pride in its music—our bands deliver excellence, passion, and heart. Under Mr. Shafer’s leadership since 2001, BMRSD instrumental ensembles have racked up impressive achievements:
- Gold medals for middle school jazz band, 7th/8th-grade concert bands, and high school wind ensemble at state festivals—performing at Symphony Hall (Boston) and Mechanics Hall (Worcester) as part of the “Gold Medal Showcase” .
- Continued success in Central District Concert Festivals, featuring top musicians from across Central Massachusetts.
- In marching arts: gold medals at Massachusetts Instrumental Choral Conductors’ Association (MICCA) and a Division 5 championship at New England Scholastic Band Association (NESBA) in 2013. That same season, the BMR Chargers took Division A at the Bands of America Regional Championship in Towson, MD.
- National Championships in USBands Division IV Open in 2015, 2016, and 2019.
This string of accolades didn’t happen on its own—it came from community support, talented students, and unwavering dedication from Mr. Shafer and staff. To continue this legacy, we must support our music program now, so students can shine again this fall.
At Small Town Post, our mission is to spotlight local stories that bring us together, highlight our shared pride, and rally support for what matters. This isn’t just an article—it’s a call to action. We believe in the power of community voices, and we need yours now to help secure a venue for the home show.
If you have a tip, an inside contact, or even a story you’d like to share—about local music triumphs, band memories, or community spirit—please reach out anytime. We post regular updates across our channels. Follow us on Facebook for the latest news, inspiring stories, and more ways to get involved.
Let’s come together, support our music program, and help our local bands continue to make us proud.
