About the Payne-Phalen Community Band & Conductor
About the Band
The Payne Phalen Community Band (est. 2025) is a community band in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood of East Saint Paul in Minnesota.
The band’s specific purpose is:
1. Promoting the continued musical education and musical growth of all band members
2. Supporting music education in St. Paul Public Schools
3. Fostering a greater appreciation for band music by offering concerts to the public.
General Overview of the Payne-Phalen Community Band:
Our season runs September through June. We will be starting September 15th, 2025.
We rehearse most Mondays during the school year from 7-9pm at Johnson Senior High School.
We play concerts in December, one sometime in the spring, and then a final concert in June. We take the summer off. This is subject to change as the band gets established.
Band members should have at least 3 years of experience playing their instrument (now or in the past) and be comfortable playing high school level music.
Our members pay annual dues: $60 -- this allows us to keep up with associated costs throughout the year (purchasing music, permits for use of the space, etc).
About the Principal Conductor
Todd Hanlon-Alle has been a teacher since 2013. He started his career in teaching as a Spanish teacher while teaching an after school band. After teaching Spanish for six years, he decided to make the move to teaching music full time and spent the next four years teaching Band and Orchestra at E-STEM Middle School in the St. Paul Public School District. In 2023 he moved to Johnson High School where he currently teaches Band, Orchestra, and Guitar.
Todd plays trumpet and studied Music Education and Spanish Education at St. John's University and Minnesota State University - Mankato. In 2017 he earned a Master's Degree in Comparative and International Development Education from the University of Minnesota. He recently earned a second Master’s degree in Music Education from the American Band College in Ashland, Oregon through Central Washingon University.
Inspiration for
Starting the Band
A note from the principal conductor:
As I've seen students graduate over the years, it has become clear that many of our students don't continue on with music once they leave high school. It isn't always because they want to be done with their musical journey - but because the resources to continue simply aren't there. This happens for many reasons - lack of a music department at some local colleges (college is where most musicians continue their music education - even if not majoring in music), students attending trade schools, and most importantly a lack of community bands on this side of the Mississippi. While there are a couple of community ensembles in St. Paul, the vast majority are in Minneapolis or the western suburbs. It's not always feasible for those in our community to make it out that far on a week night with other responsibilities - especially for those who rely on public transportation.
I'm excited to say we're starting up a community band here in our own neighborhood and would love anyone with at least high school experience on their instrument to join us! One of our main missions as an organization as stated in our bylaws is to support music in SPPS...our students are amazing and deserve to continue on their musical path when they leave high school no matter their plans post-graduation. I’m so excited to make music with all of you!
If there’s anything the world needs right now, it’s more music.
-Todd