Yachats Big Band
The Yachats Big Band has a 30 year long history of playing for dances, concerts, parties, receptions and benefits along the coast and elsewhere, and is truly committed to keeping music of the Swing Era alive with a music library of tunes from the 30's, 40's, 50's and beyond.   If you'd like to hire us for your special event, contact Eric Bigler at ebigler@peak.org or call (541) 270-9409.

Want to join us?  Occasionally we have openings for vocalists, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, keyboard, string bass and percussion players.  If you'd like to audition, contact Pete Lawson pete.lawson@peak.org or call (541) 961-2381.  We rehearse every Thursday evening from 6:30 -8:30 at Yachats Community Presbyterian Church.
History by Pat Chapman
Towards the middle of 1992, Bill Bryner, a resident of Yachats and musician, placed an ad in a local paper seeking musicians who would be interested in playing Big Band music.  A few people responded and thyat was the start of the Yachats Rehearsal Band.  Our practice places at the time were anywhere that could accommodate what soon became 17 players and a couple of vocalists.  In 1993 we had players in our group who lived in Yachats and attended the Presbyterian Church, so were invited to rehearse in their Fellowship Hall, and we do so even to this day.
Our very first dance/concert happened on December 16 of 1993, which was held in the Commons and was followed by a Valentine's Dance in February of 1994.  At that time we were still called The Yachats Rehearsal Band and playing the Commons started our long collaboration with the organization "The Friends of the Yachats Commons."  We shared the evening's suggested donations, which was $4.00/person. (We increased this to $5.00 about 15 years ago.)  We became the Yachats Big Band about a year and a half after we started.  From that time we shared the monthly proceeds with The Friends of the Commons, which they used for various improvements, such as redoing the kitchen and sound system.  The money we made was used to purchase new music, a few instruments, and liability insurance.  We also started to give worthy high school students small scholarships; we even purchased a bench by the Commons Pavilion.
Besides helping the Commons, we have done many benefits dances for organizations along the coast. There have been dances that we have been hired to do and that is how we keep a small bank account to pay for incidentals, such as insurance premiums,  upkeep on the instruments we own, and music library costs.  As volunteers, we do not get paid.  The only time we have ever paid a musician is for a substitute to fill an important position. 
Our band has lost musicians over the almost 30 years, but one thing is constant: we love playing music and hope to continue keeping swing music alive for the dancers who love to dance.  By the way, in today's band there are two musicians who have been there from that very first Commons big band dance in 1993.