Personnel

Bill Cocca, our conductor since 2012, retired in 2010 after thirty-six years in public school music education; the final twenty-five years as high school band director at Springville-Griffith Institute, where he also served as district music coordinator for seventeen years. Prior to the move to Springville, he spent nine years as junior-senior high school band director at Greene Central School. Bill earned a bachelor’s degree in music education at the State University College at Fredonia and a Master of Music Education from Ithaca College. He also holds an education administrative certification from Fredonia State College.

An active member of the New York State School Music Association, Bill is an All-State Certified Brass Adjudicator, has hosted both Area All-State and Major Organization Festivals, and served as stage manager for the NYSSMA Winter Conference for ten years. At the local level, Bill has served as conductor and/or host for numerous all-county and area all-state music festivals, as well as adjudicating many county solo festivals. He served on the board of directors for the Erie County Music Educators Association for six years and as the NYSSMA Zone 1 Representative for a three-year term.

Over the years, Bill has performed with the Genesee and Orchard Park Symphony Orchestras, the Erie County Music Educator’s Wind Ensemble, and the Lower Tioghniogha Brass and Percussion Society. He is founder and director of the Springville Jazz Orchestra.

The Players

If you would like to join us, contact president@buffalosilverband.org. We have a particular need for B♭ Bass (Tuba) players.

Looking to Play?

If you would like to play with the Buffalo Silver Band, email Pat Chiodo at president@buffalosilverband.org.

What We Do When We Are Not Playing with the Buffalo Silver Band

You might not be surprised that some of our musicians (about 25%) are music educators or retired music educators. The remaining 75% are a broad cross section of people in non-music professions, some retired: university faculty, university administrators, high school faculty, information technologists, artists, graphic artists, engineers, scientists, psychologists, and entrepreneurs. They have in common a love of music—enough love to keep them in musical shape through regular practice.

Many Buffalo Silver Band musicians participate in multiple groups. The Buffalo Silver Band is pleased to list those organizations below, with links to their websites where available.

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