Saratoga Community Band, History
The Saratoga Community Band was founded in 1989 by Craig Northup with just 35 members. Today, the band numbers up to 80 musicians ranging in age from 18 to 80+. The band is an independent non-profit organization, and is open to all interested musicians in the California Bay area. We rehearse weekly at Saratoga High School in Saratoga, CA.
Small ensembles from the band also occasionally perform at concerts, as well as for local events.
In June 2010 at the San Francisco Golden Gate Community Band Festival, the band was awarded a CERTIFICATE of SPECIAL CONGRESSIONAL RECOGNITION from the Congress of the United States of America for outstanding service to our community.
The Saratoga Community Band is a 501(c)(3) corporation. Donations to the band are always welcome, and some or all of your donation may be tax deductible. To contribute, please go to the Support the SCB! page.
Fed Tax ID: 39-3877117.
Steve Barnhill, Director
Mr. Barnhill joined the Saratoga Community Band as the band’s Director in 2024.
He retired in 2019 after 35 years of teaching, first at Overfelt High School and then Evergreen Valley High School.
In addition to the school programs, Mr. Barnhill was firstly the brass caption lead and then director of the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps from 2007-2019, helping to guide the group to 5 Open Class National Championships.
He is currently a clinician in the area and works with the Lynbrook High School band program and their outstanding director Michael Pakaluk.
A wonderful bonus of retirement has been the opportunity to once again focus on his own bass trombone playing. Currently a member of the San Jose Wind Symphony and Chabot College Wind Symphony, he is also performing in many other local ensembles.
Mr. Barnhill is honored to be the conductor for such an outstanding ensemble, and looks forward to leading the group and our audiences through many wonderful performances exploring the finest of the wind band literature.
Mike Boitz, Director (2022-2023)
The Saratoga Community Band members were pleased to welcome Michael Boitz as our new Director beginning in February, 2022. Mr. Boitz is Director of Orchestra and Band at Saratoga High School, Saratoga, CA, where he has served for more than 25 years, 20 years of which as Visual and Performing Arts Chair.
Michael has been awarded both the CMEA (California Music Educators Association) Band Educator of the year and the Richard R. Levin Orchestra Educator of the Year. He has been named Teacher-of-the-Year by the Los Gatos-Saratoga High School District, the CMEA Bay Section Gilbert T. Freitas Award for Excellence in Music Education, and has been inducted into the John Phillip Sousa Legion of Honor.
Michael has also personally been awarded Honorary Commendations from the City of Saratoga, as well as the Band Program and Orchestra Program have both been awarded Honorary Commendations from the City of Saratoga on multiple occasions.
(The excerpt above is taken from the Saratoga Music Boosters.)
Becky L. Dugan, Conductor (2017 – 2020)
Becky Dugan — our fearless leader from 2017-2020 — was born in Doctors’ Hospital on The Alameda in San Jose and moved to Anchorage, Alaska at age 4. Anchorage was a great place to grow up: long days in summer to compensate for the long nights in winter, and good schools.
Her conducting career began at an early age: when she was 6 or 7, her parents owned a “hi-fi” and she would sit in front of it for hours listening to an album about the instruments of the orchestra. It so happened that the album came with a “baton”, with which she would “conduct” the orchestra. Her practice paid off because, in her senior year, she directed the wind ensemble, as well as the school musical, for several weeks when the director was out for surgery.
Becky ultimately completed her B.A. (Music Ed) and M.M at Arizona State University. She and her husband moved San Jose in the late 70s. When she has spare time, Becky enjoys reading, dabbling in photography, and helping her houseplants survive. African violets and orchids are a lost cause at her house, but most other things she can grow.
Since college Becky has mostly worked with church choirs and school bands, but being on the podium making music with the SCB fulfilled a lifelong dream for her. And we were honored to have her as our conductor.
Rian Rodriguez, Conductor (2013-2014)
(Biography coming soon.)
Craig Northrup
Founder &
Director Emeritus
Mr. Craig Northrup, in addition to being the founder of the Saratoga Community Band, has also served as the Band Director at Saratoga High School, Music Director of the Vienna International Music Festival in Austria, and Music Director at West Valley College. He has both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Conservatory of Music at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.
Mr. Northrup stepped down as full-time director of the Saratoga Community Band in 2013, but now serves as the band’s principal clarinetist.
He also continues to keep his hand in directing by conducting a spirited March at every concert!
Dick Robbins
Assistant Conductor
Dick Robbins is a graduate of UCLA in Music. He was the first music teacher and band director at Leigh and Gunn High Schools.
After earning a Masters in School Administration at San Jose State, he became an administrator in the Campbell Union High School District. He was Principal of three high schools over a 40 year period.
Dick serves as the Assistant Conductor for the SCB, filling in for our Director when needed, and often conducting a piece at SCB concerts.