For the love of music: The Broome Street Bands
Port Jervis. Musicians delight crowd with patriotic favorites at Veterans Park.
| 08 Jul 2026 | 08:23
The Broome Street Marching band, with Shary Kranch on the white sousaphone performs at Veterans Park. (
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The Broome Street Wind Ensemble with Seth Riel (L), Shary Kranch, and Andy Mayce. (
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Patriots from Port Jervis and beyond gathered in Veterans Park on June 29 to listen to the Broome Street Bands play. They played a selection of “Fourth of July” music as well as other familiar American tunes. The bands are all volunteer musicians; some amateurs, some high school students, some professionals and others retired professionals. They all come together because of their love of music. They are a beloved part of the community and everyone seems to know each other at these free concerts.
Al Gessner, owner of Al’s Music Shop in Port Jervis, is the president of the group which started in the Drew Methodist Church on Sussex and Broome Streets in Port Jervis. It started as a church band, but after the Gulf War in 1990, it morphed into a marching band with the entire community pulling together to make it happen, even borrowing a flatbed truck.
Soon after, some members became interested in playing more difficult and nuanced music and the Broome Street Wind Ensemble, which is now about 20 years, was formed.
Both the Wind Ensemble and the Marching Band are part of one nonprofit entity, but they function musically as two organizations. There are players who are members of both.
Seth Riel and Andy Mayce are co- directors of the Wind Ensemble. They each play a number of instruments, themselves, and Mayce is a music teacher. They are all about educating and encouraging the younger players. High School seniors may receive a scholarship of about two or three thousand dollars, depending on how long they have been in the band and how much they give back to the community. The marching band raises money when they participate in various city bands. Additionally, money is raised by sponsors and contributors.
The emphasis is on sharing and paying it forward in the group. They practice at the Drew United Methodist Church every Monday night with the Marching Band starting at 6 p.m. and the Wind Ensemble starting at 7 p.m. Anyone who is interested in joining needs only to show up on a Monday night.
Their next concert is on Monday, July 27 at Veterans’ Park. It is free and they invite everyone to come and bring their own chairs. Their website is https://broomestreetbands.org/wp682.
There is a great feeling of camaraderie, as well as mentorship in the group. Shary Kranch has been playing a variety of tubas since she was five years old. She is one of the most enthusiastic players in the band and she and her white sousaphone (the huge wraparound instrument) can be seen from far back in the audience. Kranch is also the leader of the annual Tuba Christmas Concert which consists of about 25 tuba players of a variety of tubas (B Flat tubas, F tubas, E Tubas and Euphoniums. Shary’s husband Jason is the narrator of the concert.
This Tuba Christmas concert is a national event. For more information, visit www.Tubachristmas.com–the national umbrella organization. Information for the local Port Jervis concert will be on Facebook as “Tubachristmas–Port Jervis NY” and will take place the first Sunday after Thanksgiving.