The  Hot Springs Community Band  organization can trace its musical heritage to 1975 when twenty local citizens formed the CSO Senior Citizens Band under the direction of John Melton, a retired Indiana high school band director, and the coordination of Dr. Lamar “Doc” Smith and the Community Service Organization.

In 1988, the band's name was changed to the Hot Springs Community Band to account for an increase of younger musicians in the band. In 2005, the name of the band was again changed to the Hot Springs Concert Band (HSCB) to better reflect its expanded repertoire, membership and role in the musical life of the region. 

During the past fifty years, the HSCB membership, while fluctuating some, has maintained a cadre of sixty to more than eighty musicians. It is one of the largest, if not the largest, community bands in Arkansas, rehearsing and performing year-round. Its members come from more than a dozen communities in central Arkansas, some as far away as driving 70 miles each way to rehearsals and performances. Current members range in age from teenagers to octogenarians. This age diversity brings to the band a wealth of talent and performance experience ranging from eager amateurs to currently working professional  musicians and educators to retired band directors and professional music performers.

The Hot Springs Concert Band currently performs nine concerts each year, eight indoor concerts and one outdoor concert, in venues in Hot Springs and Hot Springs Village. 

The award-winning Hot Springs Concert Band has earned the coveted Hot Springs “Tourism Organization of the Year” award, commissioned three pieces, performed at two U.S. Naturalization ceremonies, played for Hot Springs National Park’s 175 th  anniversary, performed for several major grand openings, and hosted three national band conventions. It also has sponsored a bi-annual national composition competition and sponsors an annual student scholarship program.

In July 2005, the HSCB was honored with an appearance at the Arkansas Bandmasters Association (ABA) summer convention in Little Rock. Band conductor Dr. Craig Hamilton took this opportunity to showcase the merits of a community band as a venue for Arkansas students to continue performance experiences through their adult years. The band did a repeat performance at the 2009 ABA summer convention in Little Rock. The HSCB also has been the subject of a program on Arkansas Public Radio that showcased the community band as a part of the state’s artistic life.

After John Melton, HSCB directors have included: Alva Appling, Don Allen, Jullian Herring, Jerry Davidson and Ray McClellan. In 1999, Dr. Craig Hamilton was selected as the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor. He served for 25 years until his  retirement in the spring of 2024. Jim Lloyd was selected as the band’s new director in July 2024 and is building upon the legacy left by his predecessors into the band’s fiftieth anniversary in 2025 and beyond!