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KZMU: Moab's Fiery Furnace Marching Band Brings Music to the Community

Molly Marcello / KZMU

Musicians around the world are getting creative about connecting with their audience during a time of social distance. Gathering for live, in-person performance is still unsafe. One local band in Moab, Utah is solving this dilemma – by bringing the performance to the people. KZMU's Molly Marcello has more.

At the gateway to both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, it’s been unusually quiet this spring. Moab shut the door to visitors for six long weeks during what is usually the busiest time of year. The town is still not fully open, and many locals are dealing with continued unemployment and financial insecurity. All around tensions are high.  

 

But not on Friday night. Friday night the tension eases. Friday night gets a little loud. 

 

That’s because on Fridays in Moab, the Fiery Furnace Marching Band parades through different local neighborhoods. It’s a socially distant march for the community.  

NAT SOUND: [Oh this is so much fun. I’m so happy these artists are out to share their talent with everybody. This is a great social distance parade. Thank you very much] JEFF GUTIERREZ: With this band, we just have a special thing. I love this band for so many reasons. Like, it’s a super versatile, quirky band. And it turns out this is a really good way that the band performs.

Band leader and sax player Jeff Gutierrez. He’s earned money as a musician both in Moab and throughout the region for years. At this point, he says it’s difficult to tell if regular gigs will return anytime soon.

 

Credit Molly Marcello / KZMU

GUTIERREZ: Musicians just aren’t working now. It’s crazy like…You know, when the lockdown came in, within a matter of four or five days, my calendar had nice array of gigs throughout the next six months and then just one after the other - they all fell. Like – oh, two are gone from May. Oh, that wedding in June isn’t happening anymore. And restaurants aren’t going to be doing music probably for a long time.

Inspired by musician friends across the country, Gutierrez started brainstorming. How could his brass band play – essentially create their own gigs – while keeping themselves and others safe? 

GUTIERREZ: You know I kinda just threw a hint out there on Facebook – like, what would you people think if there’s a brass band walking down your street? And like how would you want that to happen in order to feel comfortable and in order for it to just not be annoying? ‘Cause that’s the last thing we want.

So they drafted rules. The band keeps their location secret so as not to attract a crowd. They maintain a steady parade pace so people aren’t tempted to gather too close. And two volunteers ensure that neighbors – and the band – keep proper social distance. 

 

GUTIERREZ: We sort of jokingly call them our bouncers. They’re like, ‘back off everybody – too close!’ But also like reminding us if we’re bunching up and getting too close, they’re reminding us – ‘keep your spacing.’

 

 

Credit Molly Marcello / KZMU

 

Starting up their next song, the band makes turns down a new street. Folks heard them coming – they’re already on the edge of their lawns waving, busting out dance moves. Every single person the band passes tonight is absolutely beaming. It’s music acting like a healing balm to collective worries – something familiar, fun, and communal in an uncertain time.

 

NAT SOUND: [I love it – it is so wonderful. I – I - it brought tears to my eyes. Yeah, it’s wonderful. It makes me feel like we’re really a community again. Thank you so much]
GUTIERREZ: I mean I think part of it is for us to have a community again. And it turns out the way we have a community is sometimes other people kind of connect with that too. And that’s awesome.

 

This story comes from Rocky Mountain Community Coalition partner station KZMU in Moab. Check out more of their content at KZMU.org

 

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