ST. PETERSBURG –The Greater St. Petersburg area Awesome Original Second Time Arounders Marching Band is excited to announce its upcoming 40th anniversary season, which is scheduled to include performances throughout Tampa Bay and culminate in a tour of Dublin, Ireland, where the band will march in the city’s famed St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Co-founded by former high school band director Bill Findeison and colleague Herb Melleney,
the more than 400-member strong all-adult marching band gives former high school, college, and military band members a chance to perform a second time around in parades and field show exhibitions.
“The Rounders,” as the group is affectionately called, includes not just musicians but a color guard (flags and rifles), twirlers, dancers, and an honor guard. The organization draws members aged 18-80 from all over Tampa Bay, Sarasota, and other parts of Central Florida. The Rounders also count seasonal residents from as far away as Germany and California among its ranks.
The Second Time Arounders is believed to be the first all-adult community marching band in the world. Others have followed The Rounders’ example, but the band remains one of the few still organized.
To celebrate 40 years of music-making, The Rounders have accepted an invitation to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Festival Parade in Dublin, Ireland. Performances are also scheduled in nearby Kilkenny Castle as part of the band’s five-day tour. Since Dublin’s St. Patrick Day Festival was canceled in 2019 and 2020 due to Covid-19, the much-anticipated 2022 event is expected to be the largest in the city’s history.
In preparation for Ireland, The Rounders hope to perform at several high school marching band festivals throughout Central Florida this fall and holiday parades in Tampa Bay.
In 2019, The Second Time Arounders performed for a worldwide television audience at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. It was the band’s second invitation to the legendary parade and the last time The Rounders performed together due to the pandemic, which also canceled the band’s scheduled 2020-21 season.
Throughout the years, The Rounders have been invited to perform at many other well-known festivals, and parades include the Calgary Stampede in Alberta, Canada, the Rose Festival in Portland, Ore., the San Antonio Fiesta Celebration, and Washington, D.C.’s Cherry Blossom Festival.
The Second Time Arounders always welcomes new members with marching band experience who want to experience performing one more time. Rehearsals for their 2021-22 season will begin in September. Auxiliary members (color guard and dancers) may be asked to try out for available positions, but an audition is not required for musicians.
Currently, membership for majorettes (baton twirlers) is closed. The only requirement for all members is a desire for excellence and a willingness to attend rehearsals and performances. To learn more about the Second Time Arounders or to explore becoming a member, visit secondtimearounders.org.