About the DMS

Our Mission

Connecting local communities with live music.

We Value:

  • Bold integrity.
  • Quality before quantity.
  • Courage, especially when what we do is opposite to what is popular or trendy.
  • Kindness, Accountability, and Transparency.
  • Momentary, natural expression of emotions through music.
  • Our Members, Performers, and Audiences.
  • Contributing to something greater.

Why we do what we do

Live music is essential to the heart. It directly contributes to our mental, behavioral and emotional health and well-being. Our local communities connect with each other through live, in-person music; and no matter how we earn a living or seek respite, performing, learning, and listening to live music improves our skills, communication, processing power, alertness, memory, physical coordination, and so much more. In short, the quality of cultural life is so much better.

We have an underlying belief that live music is the sharing of a momentary and intense natural expression of emotion, enhanced by the uniqueness of all involved, that enriches lives and brings people together. Audiences of local residents, snowbirds and tourists love the live music offered by DMS, and some even have settled in the area specifically for the ability to participate in DMS activities.

Return to top

How we aim to achieve our goals

It took a steering committee of performers, volunteers, and officials eighteen months of weekly decision-making meetings and online discussion to develop our Constitution and Bylaws, which determine how we go about achieving our mission.

In addition, we make decisions based on our values listed above, and consider it far more important HOW we go about accomplishing our goals that what those goals actually are.

Primarily through tax-deductible donations and special membership programs, the DMS is able to coordinate events of its own performing groups and teachers, and for groups that ask for help, in addition to providing affiliated groups with tax advantageous fiscal sponsorship. By sending amateur and professional musicians into local communities, those communities not only benefit from live music on their doorstep, but enjoy expanded opportunities to participate in larger music-related events.

And as music is such an integral part of everyday life and essential for the heart, how could we resist connecting local communities with live music?

Return to top

Accessibility

Tampa Bay Music Reading Workshop

The DMS makes it a priority to ensure that we offer events accessible to everyone, regardless of any social classifications such as (but not limited to) ability, sex, gender, race, color, origin, religion, faith, age, residency, resources, education, or partnership status. Our concerts, rehearsals, workshops and festivals take place in ADA-compliant venues such as the Dunedin Community Center, Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center, The Palladium at St. Petersburg College, and others. Wheelchair accessible vantage points are available in all venues.

Please note: Online and print materials can be made available in large print and/ or Spanish in approximately 7 days from request. Sign language is available if requested at least 7 days before events. Submit requests here.

The arts are a fundamental tool for self expression, shaping personal identity and unlocking creative potential. The arts also have the profound ability to connect individuals and groups across diverse ideas, perspectives and beliefs. When everyone has equitable access to the arts and the freedom to explore and voice personal expression, we all have the opportunity to use our creativity to achieve purpose, fulfillment and joy in our lives and contribute to the restoration of a vibrant, just and whole society. Our organization works to ensure that our policies, programs and practices foster an equitable, diverse and inclusive culture where every individual that engages with our organization feels acknowledged, valued and supported in their creative expressions and pursuits.

Return to top

Who does what

+ Maestro’s Circle

Our Maestro’s Circle VIP Club is a growing group of supporters who receive VIP privileges, including all Music Champion benefits and DMS cocktail parties. Each Circle option includes 2 people in the same household, or one person and a guest.

  • Ed & Marte Gruber
  • William Helm
  • Carol & Steve McNeal
  • Karen & Mark Owen
  • Beatrice Palls
  • Julie Taylor Pantziris
+ Business Music Makers

Music Makers gain access to our conscientious community of live music fans – performers, audience, teachers and community decision-makers – by making the music happen their sponsorship of events, workshops, programs and promotion. Individuals, businesses, organization and corporations may choose from six sponsorship packages. Choose your partnership level here.

DMS Music Maker Sponsors 2022

Service Providers

Our programs are sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts (Section 286.25, Florida Statutes).

Events are Produced with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Pinellas and the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners.

+ Music Champions

Become a Music Champion and part of the DMS family of exceptional performers. Your membership keeps live music local and offers many privileges you and your family will enjoy.

+ Music Builders

Thank you for your donation to the DMS. Perhaps you would also like to consider joining?

+ Volunteers

See current non-performer volunteer opportunities.

If you would like to volunteer, please apply here.

+ Leadership

At the head of The Dunedin Music Society, Inc. is an Artistic Director. The organization is governed and overseen by a Board of Directors, and operated by an Executive Committee of functional and program managers led by an Executive Director. The Executive Committee helps get the work done to ensure performers, audiences, members, finances, logistics, library, and community relations teams have what they need to connect local communities with great quality live music. Active leaders, members, performers, volunteers and audiences from multiple races, ethnicities, religions, genders, abilities, ages, and other identities are who make the DMS one of the most rapidly expanding community-run organizations in our corner of the world.

Board of Directors:

  • Meredith Raymond (2026) – President & Chair
  • John Herring (2024) – Vice-President & Vice-Chair
  • Julie Pantziris (2023) – Treasurer
  • Bea Palls (2026) – Secretary
  • Martin H. Seggelke – Artistic Director

Executive Committee:

  • Martin H. Seggelke – Artistic Director
  • Meredith Raymond – Committee Chair
  • Marianne Craig – Library 
  • Jeff Michaels – Member Relations
  • Anastasia Palls – Performer Relations
  • Anja Grube – Finance
  • Julie Longen – Audience Relations

Past President/ Chair:

  • Tom Krisa (2016-2019)
  • Bev Becker (2020-2021)

Return to top

+ The Maestro
Artistic Director and Conductor, Dr. Martin H. Seggelke - the new Maestro
Dr. Martin H. Seggelke

German-born conductor Dr. Martin H. Seggelke is the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Dunedin Music Society and Concert Band, the Founding Artistic Director and Conductor of the San Francisco Wind Symphony (formerly: San Francisco Wind Ensemble), a professional level wind ensemble, the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Pinellas Park Civic Orchestra, and works as music and humanities professor and administrator at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Prior to the aforementioned appointments, Dr. Seggelke has held several professional positions as Music Director and Conductor for professional opera companies, orchestras and wind bands at youth, amateur and professional levels, and has been a music professor and conductor at universities in California, New York, Minnesota, Illinois, and Germany.

Ensembles under Dr. Seggelke’s leadership have enjoyed high critical acclaim at national and international conferences and performance venues. Composers, ensemble musicians, audiences and critics continue to praise his emotional, musical interpretations and his appealing concert programming. With the San Francisco Wind Symphony, he has recorded at Skywalker Ranch, at the 2015 WASBE Conference in San Jose’s California Theatre, and for the Mark Records label; with the ISU Wind Symphony he has recorded on the Naxos and Klavier labels, winning the American Prize in 2015.

Maestro Seggelke is a sought-after guest conductor, clinician, guest speaker and adjudicator. He has presented at national and international conferences, has authored book chapters and articles in various music magazines and has received numerous honors, awards and prizes. An advocate of contemporary music, he has commissioned and premiered a large number of new compositions. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from the Eastman School of Music, and further degrees from universities in the U.S., Canada, and Germany. 

Together with his wife Alexandra, Martin Seggelke moved to the Tampa Bay area in 2016. His teaching activities actually extend past music and humanities: As a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, he can be found xploring the underwater world and sharing that passion with students. A certified Reiki Master Teacher, he practices Reiki throughout the community.

Return to top

+ Our Founders

The 68 DMS Founders are individuals and businesses who donated to our Founder’s Day 2017, the first event of the DMS and our first fund-raising activity.

Return to top

What it is we do

“Inspiration is not a one-way-street from teacher to student, from conductor to ensemble, or from performer to audience. Rather, its positive energy is shared; it transforms all present parties; and it thereby multiplies manifold.”
Maestro Dr. Martin H. Seggelke

Connecting local communities with live music through multiple ensembles and programs is what we do, including:

  • Local concerts, performances, and festivals with the award-winning Dunedin Concert Band, Pinellas Community Band, Rhythm Kings Jazz Orchestra, Pinellas Community Clarinet Choir, and several other programs
  • Educational opportunities for amateur and professional performers with the WIBRAP™ Sight-Reading Sessions, Summer Workshops, and Chamber Ensembles,
  • and a multitude of workshops and spectacular events such as an annual Holiday Extravaganza, the Pinellas Festival of Community Bands, and many more.

DMS members both near and far receive priority access to live music events, as well as opportunities to advocate for making the world a better place through live music.

The DMS takes pride in its inclusivity and diversity which contributes to our ability to host 105 in-person and online events, pre-pandemic in 2020, directly impacting more than 7,500 individuals in communities around Florida, the USA and the world. We celebrate our openness with anyone and everyone who wants to participate in group live music-making in a supportive, encouraging and collaborative environment as part of our ongoing everyday operations. 

Return to top

Where do we do this?

We truly believe you cannot replace the in-person effects of live music shared by performers and their instruments (including voice).

However, we appreciate there are times and situations in which recorded, electronically-distributed music can also be effective – especially if one might live, or be traveling, far away from our most prized concerts!

Therefore, although most of our in-person activities take place in Pinellas County and around the Tampa Bay region, we might occasionally host in-person events in other locations… especially tours to other countries – and we might embark on new initiatives to produce recordings of some of our most unique musical endeavors.

We also maintain an active online presence, and occasionally host virtual concerts, festivals, workshops and meetings.

No matter where you are in the world, the DMS can accommodate your needs and desires to participate in sharing, learning about, and enjoying live music.

Just check out the Concerts+ page for your next opportunity!

Return to top

When this all came about

The Dunedin Music Society, Inc. was formed in December 2016, following the detailed recommendations of a two-year steering committee consisting of 20 volunteers from the Dunedin Concert Band (formed in 1981) and the local community.

On March 11, 2017, the DMS hosted its first event: a Founder’s Day to raise awareness and initial funds.

Return to top