The Rutherford Community Band (NJ) was founded in 1941 by Thomas Monroe as a musical outlet for adults in the Rutherford community. The band was founded as a summer concert band entertaining crowds in Lincoln Park in the heart of downtown Rutherford. A decade later William N. Hutzel, a music educator in the town, decided to expand the band by allowing his high school students to join. In 1963 Raymond Heller became the third director and established a year round program of spring and holiday concerts in the RHS Auditorium and continuing the tradition of outdoor concerts in the park. Ray remained the director up until his death in 2015. In 2017, Dr. David Goss was named the fourth director, programming modern pieces and helping to grow the online presence of the band before leaving to take an academic position in Florida in 2021. The current director, Donald Rolle, has continued the tradition of putting on exciting performances for the residents of Bergen County NJ.