Parliament House's Wednesday nights patrons may notice the sounds of instruments being played in the distance or see a collective of men and women twirling flags and marching in unison through the parking lot. For the past month, the Central Florida Sounds of Freedom band and color guard has been practicing beachside.
â┚¬Å”We are trying to get this band off the ground so we can march in Orlando’s Come Out with Pride parade this October alongside the South Florida Wind Ensemble, [members of] LGBA (Lesbian and Gay Band Association) from all over the country and Out & Proud Veterans of America,â┚¬Â said Sounds of Freedom co-founder Juan Canasi.
Canasi says the group's goal is to become an organization that is a source of pride for Orlando and the local LGBT community.
Canasi, along with co-founder Roy Clement, wanted to start an LGBT marching band in Central Florida 12 years ago but the group wasn't able to gain momentum. Now, with fellow founders Clement and Scott Stowell, he says they've been able to reach a lot more people thanks to social networking tools like Facebook.
Currently, there are 30 members, including James Jackson, who was instrumental in the inception of the Central Florida Softball League (CFSL) and Jessica Brown, who helped organize UCF's first-ever gay prom. Central Florida Sounds of Freedom is still recruiting.
â┚¬Å”You don't have to be good,â┚¬Â said Canasi. â┚¬Å”Most of us haven't performed since high school. As long as you're a beginner or have been involved with band or color-guard, you don't need experience; just be willing to learn.â┚¬ÂÂ
There are no fees to join this season but Canasi predicts there will eventually have to be, for incidentals like uniforms.
For more information, visit cflsfband.org
