The Australian Youth Band prides itself on offering talented young musicians from around Victoria the opportunity to participate in unique musical experiences that are rare amongst community ensembles. AYB performs in iconic parades throughout Melbourne, regionally and interstate, as well as at sporting events, schools, corporate functions, and regularly participates in overseas tours. It’s these rare opportunities that makes being a part of the Australian Youth Band a once in a lifetime experience.
AYB exists for the promotion and development of music and musical excellence, education of Australian youth in order to achieve the highest standard as a concert performance and marching display band, the provision of high quality community entertainment, and the achievement of an environment for personal development and advancement in education of band members socially and in terms of musical excellence.
Our band was formed in 1978, when Melbourne City Councillors decided that a worthy contribution to 1979’s 25th Anniversary of the Moomba Festival would be the formation of a youth marching band to lead the Procession. Known as the Moomba Band, and with funding from the City Council and the Moomba Board, the Band was formed with some 70 talented young musicians aged between 13 and 18 from all over Victoria, their uniform featuring the red, white and silver colours of the Melbourne City Council.
Such was the success of the band’s performances at Moomba, a number of enthusiastic parents of band members formed a committee and convinced the Council and the Moomba Board to maintain the Band with their voluntary help. To ensure the band would continue into the future, a parents’ association was formed, a Constitution drawn up and the Melbourne Moomba Youth Band Association registered as an incorporated body on the 7th of August 1987.
Known as the Australian Youth Band Association Incorporated since 2001, the Association remains as the legal entity that administers the Australian Youth Band. The Association consists of current and past Committee and Band members, parents of current and past Band members, and anyone else who wants to support the Band. All members of the Association and Committee are volunteers.
