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Member Information
AHCB Hall of Fame
Sandra J. Stoeckel
- Trumpet & Conductor
- Member 1986-2024
- Hall of Fame Class of 2023
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Sandra Stoeckel had the vision, is our Founding Conductor, and has been one of our artistic leaders for over 35 years. Sandy, a trained musician and music educator, had a vision of a “western St. Louis metro” – based community band that would provide an opportunity for amateur musicians to start playing in a band again. She worked with the Parkway Adult Education program to offer an adult band class in the spring of 1986. Sandy made a band out of those adult students over the course of that semester. And she made it FUN, so when the semester ended, they wanted to continue.
So, Sandy has been part of the band since BEFORE the beginning, both as a member of the trumpet section, AND as one of our conductors for over 35 years. Sandy, along with our other conductors, does it for the love of making music, as we are an all-volunteer organization. (One of our band mottos: Don’t Quit Your Day Job!). Conducting this band is much more than what you see at a concert. Sandy and Carol Commerford, and now Morgan Schneider, carefully pick music for each season of our band year that will be fun, challenging, and playable for band members of quite different proficiency levels. Each conductor plans rehearsals, and carefully works with the band over the course of weeks or months to prepare music for performance, and then constructs an appealing program for each event on our schedule. Sandy has excelled at the process of preparing the band to perform. Over the years, she and the other conductors have pushed, pulled, and prodded us to progress from the junior high-level music that first band played to the wide variety of repertoire we play today. What a difference!
Being a conductor for 35+ years requires a high-level of commitment to the band, which Sandy has exemplified from the beginning. And, all the while, she has kept the FUN in the equation. Sandy’s enthusiasm is contagious, and the energy she brings to rehearsals and performances is a key part of why all of us volunteer musicians keep volunteering. When she laughs (which she does often) we all laugh!
Sandy has also taken on leadership roles in the band’s Board of Directors, including as Band President, Band Treasurer (for lots of years – we don’t remember how many!), and chair of the Conductor’s committee. In each of these roles, she has given further of her time and talents.
In addition to all of that, her musicianship has been evident as she plays in the trumpet section, too. She has been a key soloist for many concerts, and has actively played or conducted ensembles in many of our annual Ensembles Concerts.
As our founding conductor, and for all the countless hours and energy she has devoted to this band, we welcome Sandy to the inaugural class of our Hall of Fame. Sandy, when told of her election to the Hall of Fame, commented:
“It has been my life's pleasure to have conceptualized, created, and built the core foundation of the After Hours Community Band. Assisting in its further development & advancement, and to lead a group like this, was a dream I had out of college. This was ‘My Baby’. I'm so proud of what it has become.”
