Note: This is part of a series on bands in Transylvania County. 

Brevard Cornet Band 

Concert bands became popular in America in the late nineteenth century as touring bands, particularly those led by John Phillip Sousa. Brevard’s earliest community band was organized in the early 1900s. Known as the Brevard Cornet Band, it started with eight members.  

Early newspaper accounts such as one dated July 7, 1911 from The Brevard News reporting on the July Fourth celebration, noted the Brevard Cornet Band “lived up to the reputation it has deservedly won. The band has made good as a town institution, and a public occasion would now be incomplete without its stirring strain”.  

That summer, the Brevard Cornet Band performed at the reunion for Hendersonville Confederate Veterans in Horse Shoe, as well as for the United Confederate Veterans of Transylvania at the Davidson River grounds.  

The band also performed an open-air concert on September 21, 1916.  From the performance fees they earned, they were able to get out of debt and pay in advance to rent a hall to rehearse in. A photograph from 1916 showed fourteen band members proudly holding their brass instruments.  

It’s unclear when, but the Cornet Band disbanded at some point. A Brevard News article dated July 7, 1922 called for Brevard to establish a local band, noting that there had been no band for several years.  

Transylvania Municipal Band 

On November 7, 1924. The Transylvania Municipal Band was established as a civic band organization supported by the town and county government. All band members were volunteers. Joseph Silversteen was elected president. Professor F.J. Cutter was the band master and instructor.  

Local merchants and professional men made donations to the band organization to buy quality instruments, then offer easy payment terms to any band member who needed to purchase one. Each band member was required to already own or buy an instrument. Pupils who joined the band had to pay Prof. Cutter $1.00 a week for taking two weekly mandatory lessons. Band practices were held at the courthouse.  

The Municipal Band would officially begin performing in early spring of 1925, and the cost for taking lessons would be over. The Transylvania Municipal Band gave free concerts to the community and was a source of civic pride.  

A Brevard News story dated September 25,1929 stated Mrs. Silversteen proposed a campaign to teach band music in the county schools to train boys to replace the members who leave the Municipal Band for paying positions in orchestras, other bands, or to go to college. A Brevard News story dated June 18,1930 noted the town and county government paid Prof. Cutter a modest salary to stay and direct the band.  

More and more bands of varied types of music formed over the years. Stay tuned for more in this series, Band Camp! Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library. This article was written by Library Assistant Helaine Kranz. Sources available upon request.