When Ed Madden informed his fellow musician Frank Darmiento that he was stepping down as conductor of the Fountain Hills Community Band, he asked Darmiento if he might be interested.

A conductor, composer, arranger and musician, Darmeinto accepted the challenge.

“I was brought in to pick up where Eddie left off. It takes a lot of energy,” said Darmiento.

His first public performance conducting the band will be on a Thanksgiving Day parade float. The band also will perform Saturday, Dec. 3, during the “Stroll in the Glow” on the Avenue of the Fountains.

A concert is scheduled for 7 p.m., Dec. 13, in The Fountains United Methodist Church. The program will include band classics, Broadway show tunes, marches and about 15 to 20 percent holiday music. Donations will be accepted.

In his new role, Darmiento is recruiting band members to expand the 50-memer organization. He has played as a substitute trombone player with the local group for the last couple of years.

“If you play a band instrument and if interested, we’ll find a place for you,” said Darmiento.

Interested players should contact him at frank@darmiento.com.

Darmiento studied music composition at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. and graduated in 1967. He later studied music composition with Wendell Margrave in Washington, D.C. and arranging with Ladd McIntosh.

He won the 2003 Dallas Wind Symphony brass fanfare competition and has been a multiple year American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers awards’ winner.

Professional, college, student and community groups have performed his compositions and arrangements.

He is the principal trombonist with the Scottsdale Philharmonic and co-leader of a brass quintet, Optima Brass. After recovering from a stroke in 2010, he founded La Forza Chamber Orchestra and became its music director/conductor.

Darmiento’s musical experience includes being a concert soloist on trombone, euphonium and classical guitar.

He is a professional engineer, holding both a bachelor of science and master of science degrees in engineering.

He served in the Peace Corps in Bolivia from 1967-69 and published a book about his experience, “Bolivia 30: Life as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the 1960s.

Darmiento’s latest CD, “Sudden Impact,” is a jazz quartet album released on the Summit Records label and has received radio airplay around the country. The album includes six of his original compositions along with his arrangements of five other pieces.