ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ

Dr. Bryan Proksch, professor of music history at ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ and a leading scholar of American band history, has authored a new essay for the Smithsonian Institution exploring how concert bands in the United States have long served as models for democratic participation. Titled “How American Bands Modeled Democracy,” the piece was published in June as part of the Smithsonian’s Civic Month celebration. 

Proksch first connected with the Smithsonian during a faculty development leave in the fall of that year. At the time, he was conducting research for what would become his third book, “The Golden Age of American Bands: A History in Source Documents” (1835–1935), published in 2022.

“I spent a good deal of time at the Smithsonian while working on my third book,” he said. “I was on faculty development leave then, which turned out to be good timing since COVID hit just after.”

While working in the Smithsonian archives, Proksch delved into several key collections, including the Hazen collection, a comprehensive archive donated by a husband-and-wife team who had authored a major book on American bands. He also explored the Helen May Butler scrapbooks, which chronicle the career of an influential early 20th-century women’s bandleader and cornet soloist. In addition to personal papers and memorabilia, Proksch examined rare periodicals, postcards, and photographs, materials that later shaped both his book and the Smithsonian essay.

Following the publication of “The Golden Age of American Bands,” Proksch sent a copy to the Smithsonian, which sparked further conversations with archivist David Haberstich.

“They've got quite a few postcards and photos, and they said I could write something up for their blog,” Proksch said. Around that time, he had already begun developing a new project focused on how American bands functioned as civic institutions, spaces where communities came together to participate in collective musical experiences that echoed the ideals of democratic society.

The resulting essay argues that American bands, often organized locally and run collectively, reflected the values of inclusion, public service, and community involvement.

Proksch’s research for the piece also built upon a presentation he gave in Valencia, Spain, at the 2024 conference of the Internationale Gesellschaft zur Erforschung und Förderung der Blasmusik (IGEB), a scholarly society dedicated to wind and band music. Smithsonian staff saw the essay as a meaningful way to connect their music collections with broader cultural and civic themes.

“He [Haberstich] thought it would be a nice tie-in for both their collections and bands in the United States,” Proksch said.

Proksch is well known in musicological circles for his work on American band traditions, Viennese Classicism, and the history of the trumpet. His four books— “Bands in American Musical History: Inflection Points and Reappraisals” (2024), “The Golden Age of American Bands” (2022), “A Sousa Reader” (2017), and “Reviving Haydn” (2015)—reflect a career focused on both American and European music history. He has contributed essays to journals including the Journal of the American Musicological Society, Journal of Band Research, Historic Brass Society Journal, and the International Trumpet Guild Journal. His scholarly reach also includes writing the New Grove Dictionary entry on Herb Alpert.

The full Smithsonian essay, “How American Bands Modeled Democracy,” is available online at: americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/american-bands-modeled-democracy.