The Ferndale Community Concert Band is preparing to hit the road to play at one of Michigan’s premier music venues.

A 3 p.m. March 30 performance at the famed Orchestra Hall in Detroit will celebrate the band’s 10th anniversary. The afternoon concert reinforces the group’s commitment to making music and memories for the community and a diverse assemblage of volunteer musicians.

The event puts the Ferndale band in an acoustically superb concert hall that has previously hosted the likes of Aretha Franklin, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman and Ella Fitzgerald.

“This performance at Orchestra Hall is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our musicians and our community,” said Sharon Chess, a co-founder of the Ferndale band.The concert, she said, “is truly a dream come true.”

More than 70 band members are expected to participate. There is no charge to attend, but donations will be accepted.

Chess said the performance is both a thank-you to the community for its support and a testament to the diversity and collaboration of the band.

Band members range from 15 to 84 years old and include musicians from all walks of life who hail from nearly two dozen communities throughout metropolitan Detroit. Skill levels and experience also vary.

Among those are Thomas Barkle, a 15-year-old trumpet player from Hazel Park who joined last year, and Edward Ungerman, 54, a Ferndale police officer and French horn player who is among the original band members.

“I was looking for a community band where I could challenge myself and learn from others,” said Barkle, who was encouraged to join the Ferndale band by his high school band director, Shawn Lee, who also belongs to the group.

“Playing at Orchestra Hall is really cool. I’ve never been there.”

Ungerman said the Orchestra Hall appearance “is going to be fun and exciting.

“For most of us, music has been a big part of our lives. You build a lot of friendships through music.”

Chess said she was joined by Tim Brennan in launching the band a decade ago after a community survey by the Ferndale Arts and Cultural Commission showed interest among residents. The band — under the direction of Artistic Director and Conductor Ed Quick — now offers five free concerts each year featuring classical and contemporary wind band music.

“Band members come from all walks of life,” Chess said. “They love music, work on their skills and seek to be the best they can be.”

Some make an annual visit to the National Music Camp in upstate Interlochen, she said, to attend senior courses and “freshen up their skills.”

“Our members are phenomenal,” Chess said, emphasizing the collegiality of the band despite its wide range of diversity. “There isn’t a person in this band that you don’t want to know.”

Ungerman said the band helps strengthen community spirit in Ferndale.

“I listen to recordings of our concerts and I’m proud of how good we sound,” he said.

The March 30 concert will include special guest Robert Benton, a euphoniumist who has performed worldwide and with the Detroit Symphony.

“Orchestra Hall is a venue that has inspired countless artists,” Chess said.

For more information, visit fcconcertband.org.