There just aren't enough opportunities for adults to continue playing music after school, he says. Few are able to make it into a professional, paying career, and opportunities to play in a group for fun are few and far between.

He continued to see it happen for years--until one day in 1989.

"[I was] at a social function, and the mayor of Saratoga came up to me. She said, 'You know, what we need is a Saratoga community band,' " he recalls.

Northrup was well known throughout the community. After taking over for the previous music director at Saratoga High in 1972, he helped the school's bands reach new heights. The marching band won several competitions and toured Europe twice, and he even took the symphonic band to Vienna in 1974 to perform in the International Youth and Music Festival. They returned with the Prize of Vienna, as the best band in the event.

When he returned to Vienna with the band in 1979, he was asked to take over for the retiring director of the festival. He accepted, and spent 15 years being paid to coordinate the event and travel the globe promoting it. He visited Hong Kong, Japan, Europe, Israel, Canada, Mexico and more. Northrup also spent 15 years as the band director at West Valley College.

After his conversation with the mayor that night in 1989, Northrup approached West Valley College and asked school officials if they would be interested in hosting the group as part of the school's community education efforts. Northrup says his idea got caught up in "red tape" and, unfortunately, did not progress.

However, the mayor wasn't willing to give up so easily. She called Northrup back and asked if he would be willing to conduct the orchestra, if she could "get rid of the red tape."

"I said sure," he says. "The next day I got a call from the president of West Valley College. He said, 'If you can come over and sign the papers, we're all ready to start the Saratoga Community Band.' " Apparently, the mayor had worked her magic.

Northrup began sending out letters to all the local musicians he knew, including former students from Saratoga High.

The Saratoga Community Band was born later that year, with 35 founding members.

These days, the band is 80 members strong and consists of residents from all over the South Bay, ranging in age from 16 to 84. About a year or so ago, West Valley College dropped the band from its roster, but the group was quickly "adopted" by the Los Gatos-Saratoga Community Education and Recreation department. The group now regularly performs three concerts a year--a Christmas concert in December, a spring concert in March and a concert in May, traditionally at Saratoga's Wildwood Park.

"It's a fun time. We have everyone bring picnics. It's kind of like a pops concert. We have lawn chairs; everyone sits in them and watches the concert, it's great," he says.

The group also splits off into smaller ensembles that perform on their own, such as the Saratoga brass, the Saratoga Dixieland Band, the Saratoga Saxes, the Saratoga Woodwind Quintet and the West Valley Woodwind Quintet.

Tom Beckmann, who grew up in Saratoga and now lives in Los Gatos, remembers the day he met Northrup back in 1972--when Northrup walked through the doors of the Saratoga High School music room, ready to begin his job. As time went by, Beckmann says, Northrup impressed them all.

"He had a lot to live up to [replacing William Trimble]," Beckmann says. "And he did."

Twenty-two years later, Beckmann received a letter from Northrup, inviting him to join the Saratoga Community Band. The two had run into each other from time to time over the years, and Northrup had never forgotten him.

Beckmann says the band is a wonderful opportunity for adults who play classical instruments to continue their musical journey.

"People who play these kinds of instruments--French horn, bass clarinet, flute--can now play outside of a school setting," he says. Drummers or bass players can find rock groups or jazz groups, but other musicians often have no such luck. "My concern is what will happen when Craig finally retires. He's the glue that holds this band together. He does a great community service."

Charlie Robert of Saratoga says he looks forward all week to the band's Monday night rehearsals in the Saratoga High band room.

"There's no better way to spend a Monday night, especially after a long day of work," he says. "There are no egos here. From the first day, I felt welcome. It's a real friendly band. A real community band."

Robert says he is grateful to Mike Boitz, the Saratoga High band director, for letting the Community Band practice in its space. He says it is fun to leave his daughters notes in their instruments--they have both played with the Saratoga High band, and, thanks to the Community Band, they no longer "get to have all the fun."

These days, the group is gearing up for its holiday concert on Dec. 5 in the West Valley College Theater. Northrup says the band plays "everything from Mozart to marches." The show will feature a John Philip Sousa march, a ragtime Billy Joel piece, some holiday favorites, and a tribute to Ray Charles.

"It's a beautiful theater, with nice acoustics. It should be a great show," he says.

Northrup is especially excited to help inaugurate the new McAfee Performing Arts and Lecture Center at Saratoga High for the band's upcoming concert in March.

"All indications are that we'll be the first group to play there," he says.

All in all, it seems Northrup and his musicians are living the dream--and anyone can join them, he says, as the group requires no audition to become a member.

"We just invite people to get involved in music and to have fun," he says.

The next Saratoga Community Band concert is on Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the West Valley College Theater, 14000 Fruitvale Ave. in Saratoga. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.saratogaband.org or call 408.379.2868.