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Joe Berkowitz, founder, created the St. Petersburg Community Band on January 25, 1975. Under the direction of Paul Nicholson, then band director at St. Petersburg High School, the band continued to grow in numbers.

The band used St. Petersburg High School's band room and music until 1978. Mr. Nicholson, unfortunately, could no longer devote time.

Dr. George Westcott, a member of the band and former director of music at Eastern
Illinois University for 25 years, led the band for the next 10 years using facilities at
Boca Ciega High School. In 1988, Dr. Westcott gave up conducting, and Don MacTavish, director of the Festival of States, took over the baton for the next 6 years before he was transferred to Orlando.

The band donates its services and has played more than 315 concerts. The current membership is 60+ members. The band has non-profit status, and it is funded by donations of sponsors. Please visit our Sponsor page to view our growing list of supporters.

Some of the past concerts included playing for Special Olympics, Cancer Society, Bay Pines V.A., The Pier, Davis Cup, Tyrone Square Mall, many churches and city museums.

Bob Fritz, Band Historian, joined the band one week after it was founded. Bob has been a member since 1975, and he has a wealth of information.

BERKOWITZ, JOSEPH L., 81, of St. Petersburg, died Friday (Aug. 11, 2006) at Northside Hospital and Heart Institute. He was born in Wilkes Barre, Pa., and came to Florida in 1949 from Linden, N.J. He was the former owner of J.L. Berkowitz Insurance Agency for many years in St. Petersburg. He was an Army veteran of World War II serving in an intelligence unit in Japan. He was a member of Congregation B'nai Israel, the B'nai B'rith and the Kiwanis Club where he was very active in the Easter Seal Foundation. He was a founder of the St. Petersburg Adult Community Band and for 20 years he and his late wife, Lucy, were hosts of Japanese exchange students from Eckerd College. He visited Japan several times. He enjoyed cross country trips in the family camper.