The driving force is a preservationist philosophy to promote the American Concert Band, the unique American art form created by Patrick Gilmore in the 1860s and perfected by John Philip Sousa at the turn of the last century. Sousa's concerts were dubbed the world's greatest pops concerts. In this tradition, a Compton Heights Concert Band concert features programming appealing to all ages and musical tastes. Featuring a wide variety of guest artists, the Band presents diverse music encapsulated in a 2-hr old-fashioned concert format.

Some of the nation's most talented musicians have appeared, including Peter Nero; The Rebirth Brass Brass Band, Mary Elizabeth Sinclair, soprano; The Legend Singers, PROJECT Trio, Canadian Brass, Sukay, Music of the Andes, Pachamama, Bolivian; Buckwheat Zydeco, Stoneback Sisters, David Morris, Doc Severensen; Red Lehr & the St. Louis Rivermen; Geoffrey Gallante; Arturo Sandoval; Nicole Cabell, Soprano (2005 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World); Keith Brion, world-renowned Sousa portrayer, Sigrun Hjalmtysdottir, Icelandic soprano; Doc Severensen; Ricardo Morales; Alex Klein; Cameron Carpenter; Robert Ellison; the late William Warfield; Debbye Turner; the Nuclear Whales Saxophone Orchestra; Johnnie Johnson, The BNFL British Brass Band; Beverly Stewart Anderson; Gail Lennon & the Lennon Brothers; Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano; and tenor, Hugh Kash Smith.

The band began an eight week summer concert series in 1980 in Tower Grove Park and added a sister series in Francis Park in 1986. These concerts, dubbed Sunday Serenades & Musical Mondays, attract 20,000 listeners annually. The Band played in a new indoor series in 2013 at the Purser Auditorium, Logan Chiropractic College, Chesterfield, Missouri, Sousa Sundays. Under the auspices of the Missouri Arts Council Touring Program the band has toured in outstate Missouri and has been acclaimed by audiences in Hermann, Joplin, Farmington, St. Peters, Cape Girardeau, and Ste. Genevieve. In 1998, the Band added annual Powell Symphony Hall December pops concerts. The Band started its SousaU competitive college scholarship program in 2007 which to-date has benefitted over 100 outstanding student musicians. In 2012 the Holiday concert was at the Peabody Opera House. In 2017 and 2018, the Band held the Holiday Pops concert at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade and then returned to Powell Hall in December 2019. In mid-March 2020, the Band had to close its major charity bingo fundraising bingo hall due to the restrictions from COVID-19. The Band had operated the Hall and subleased to 4 other charities. The closure of the hall, negotiations with the landlord, and subsequent move-out took over 4 months this summer. Due to Covid-19, the Band was also forced to cancel its annual Memorial Day concert and Sunday Serenades & Musical Mondays series. With a 60-piece community concert band, the ability to practice and present concerts on the confined bandstand(s) was not possible.

The Band appeared on its own TV show "Sunrise Serenades" which aired for a year on KMOV-TV, CBS Affiliate with Harry Swanger and the band mascot, Moosic! "Sunrise Serenades" on is being re-released on the Band's Youtube Channel in 2020. Sunrise Serenades-YouTube For an extraordinary segment from that show featuring the late Johnnie Johnson, see "Johnnie Johnson".

Edward Dolbashian, conductor, was the orchestra and opera conductor at the University of Missouri, Columbia. He also conducts the St. Louis Civic Orchestra. He was appointed conductor of the Compton Heights Concert Band in September, 1998. He is an oboist.