History

The Arkansas Winds Community Concert Band was founded in 1988 by Professor Eldon Janzen, and performed its first concert in May of 1989. Professor Janzen, Emeritus at the University of Arkansas, has had a long and distinguished career in music. His professional affiliations include American Bandmasters Association, Music Educators National Conference, College Band Directors National Association, Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, and Lions International. Mr. Janzen has served as President of Texas Bandmasters Association, President of South-West Division of CBDNA, President of Arkansas Bandmasters Association and President of Phi Beta Mu International.

The Band was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1994, under the administrative leadership of then President Nancy Sloan and conductor Chalon Ragsdale.

The group has performed at the Arkansas Band Educators State Conference, at Fourth of July celebrations in Fayetteville and Bentonville, at the Butterfield Trail Village Retirement Community, in several area parks and schools, and is a regular performer at the University of Arkansas Summer Music Camp.

In April 2004, the band was honored to be selected to perform in Hot Springs, Arkansas at the convention of the Association of Concert Bands, the North American organization for community concert bands.

In 2010, the band performed again at the Association of Concert Bands convention, this time travelling to Plano, TX. The Winds was the only non-Texas band to perform at the convention.