The azure sky turned to royal blue, streaked with orange and crimson, in the western heavens over Lakewood Park. Friends and family stretched out on their lawn chairs and on the wooden benches in front of the Lakewood Hometown Bandstand.

On that bandstand, conductor Donald Santa-Emma raised his baton, and once again, brought forth magical music to cheer and comfort us all. This scenario has fortunately transpired throughout many years of Sunday nights in Lakewood.

The Lakewood Hometown Band will celebrate forty years of this entertainment at their performance at Lakewood Park on June 24th, at 7:00 pm. Born as a collaborative effort between the City of Lakewood and the Music Performance Trust Fund, members of the American Federation of Musicians enjoy the rich tradition of bringing the best in band music to our city.

Donald Santa-Emma has been the Music Coordinator and frequent conductor of the group for many years. Don is quick to point out that the musicians are top-notch professionals, many of whom appear at Blossom Music Center, as well as other reputable venues around town. This degree of professionalism contributes to the incredibly high quality of the band's performances.

Don is a past president of the Cleveland Federation of Musicians, Local 4 of the American Federation of Musicians, and is currently serving as Vice-President and President Emeritus for that group. Music education has long been an important part of Don's life. An Ohio State graduate, he has served as Director of Fine Arts Education for the Cleveland Public Schools, where he supervised over two hundred teachers.

Additionally, Don is the recipient of many awards and citations, including the Distinguished Service Award in Music Education from The Ohio State University and the Distinguished Service Award from the Ohio Music Education Association. Don has also been inducted into the Ohio State Fair Hall of Fame, as well as the Hall of Fame for his high school alma mater, West Tech. He has been honored as well as a Martha Holden Jennings Teacher-Leader, and holds a Master Teacher Citation from the Cleveland Public Schools.

Of particular interest to Don is the fact that he is the director of the All-Ohio State Fair Band - a select band of two hundred of Ohio's finest high school musicians. This group performs at the annual Ohio State Fair in Columbus. Don continues to serve as the band's Director, after thirty-four years of dedicated service to this unique organization.

Helping children to experience the joy of music and cultivating their confidence through on-stage performances continue to be keystones of this man's life.

Don is particularly delighted to see excellent music programs continue in the Lakewood Public Schools.

Hopefully, we will be able to enjoy beautiful music from Don, and the Lakewood Hometown Band, for many years to come.