William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, said, "Music is to the soul what the wind is to sails." He gladly and frequently made use of music whenever he was preaching the Gospel. The first meeting of the Salvation Army in the Netherlands took place on 8 May 1887 in Amsterdam. Even at this early stage, music was not only used to accompany the singing at the gatherings, but also as a means of attracting attention.

As the Army's activities continued and grew, the need soon arose for a band which could be employed in evangelization. For this purpose, in the same year a somewhat uncertain, and surely not very musical, attempt was made to form a Staff Band. From the small number of corps which has been opened in the first year of the Army’s activity in the Netherlands a small band was started. Travelling by covered wagon, or using the first steam trains, and having very little money, they slept overnight in barracks and institutions, and in one year visited 250 towns and villages. Why it was disbanded after that one year, on 23 July 1888, is not clear.

In 1910 another attempt was made, and on 31 May, the Staff Band was officially installed by Commissioner W. Ridsel. The Bandmaster was Ensign Rawie, and he was assisted by Captain F. Bulterman. However, this band did not last very long either, although the “War Cry” reporting on the activities of that first year wrote: “Two elated young staff bandsmen told me that before leaving their billet address they had prayed with their hosts, and the man, his wife and the children had all cried very hard.”

In the early 1940s, during the German occupation of the Netherlands, the Salvation Army was liquidated. At first, it seemed that only a single blow had destroyed the Dutch Salvationists. However, the opposite was true. More than ever, it became clear that the Salvation Army is composed of valiant people. After World War II, the Army began to vigorously rebuild its work in the Netherlands and other European countries.

One of the manifestations of the rebirth of the Salvation Army in the Netherlands after World War II was the formation of a new National Band, under the direction of bandmaster Bernard Verkaaik. The band was installed on 22 April 1948. In May 1959, the band was invited to visit the Canadian Territory and territories in the United States. On 7 December of the same year, the band was dissolved.

Practices were held in the cellar of National Headquarters at that time located in Amsterdam, (now in Almere). Once a month they visited a corps and every two years toured abroad. After visiting America and Canada the National Band was once again disbanded. This time on 7 December 1960. Fortunately this was not for long, because by 1961 Captain William Palstra started a brass ensemble, assisted by Major C. Nieuwland, who was then the Candidates Secretary. Some time later they received permission from International Headquarters to use the name Staff Band.

Major Cor Nieuwland took over the leadership on the January 1, 1970 and was at the same time appointed to be Music Secretary, holding these appointments for a number of years. Major Maurice Cooper took over the responsibilities from 1976-1980, when it again came under the leadership of Brigadier Cor Nieuwland.

In 1986 the bandmaster’s baton, and responsibility for the Music Department, were passed on to Captain Dick Krommenhoek. In 1991, Lieutenant Peter Ayling, from Great Britain, became the bandmaster. Lieutenant Ayling served until autumn 1994. Dick Krommenhoek, now a captain, followed as interim bandmaster and was officially appointed as the Amsterdam Staff bandmaster in 1995. Captain Krommenhoek served until 1997, when he was appointed Financial Secretary in Denmark. In 1998, Don Jenkins, formerly of the Bristol Easton Corps in the United Kingdom, took up the baton, serving until the spring of 2000, when Howard Evans became bandmaster till the winter of 2005. In January 2006 Thijs Musch got appointed as bandmaster.

The present Amsterdam Staff Band is composed of a group of fine musicians who travel from all over the country to attend the weekly practices in Almere. The band participates in numerous national events and once a month they special in a corps somewhere in the Netherlands, giving a concert on the Saturday evening and leading or assisting in the meetings at the corps or in a church on Sunday. The band was invited to participate in the Salvation Army Centenary celebrations held in London, England in 1965. Other international tours followed: Norway (1968), Sweden (1970), Finland (1973 and 1983), Canada and the United States (1974), Switzerland (1976) and the United States of America (2002/2003) when the band participated at the Tournament of Roses Parade. The band also visited Great Britain numerous times (1979, 1988, 1993, 1995, 1999 ans 2000). In 1988, the band was the guest performer at the Bandmasters' Councils Festival, held in the Royal Albert Hall in London. Recently, in June 2005, the band has been on tour again to the United Kindom where they were participating on the 'Sounds of Praise' Gospel Arts Concert where they performed together with with the International Staff Band, International Staff Songsters and the Vasa Gospel Choir from Sweden.

In September 1991, the band was present at the official opening, by General Eva Burrows, of the Salvation Army in Prague in what was then Czechoslovakia. The Amsterdam Staff Songsters also participated in this visit. In Spring 1992 the Amsterdam Staff Band participated at the in the Spring Festival at the Roy Thompson Hall during their 17-day tour to Canada. Scotland, England and Northern Ireland were visited in 1993. Among the many special experiences the band has had over the years, one stands out from this tour: marching through Royal Avenue in inner city Belfast under military escort, playing to the glory of God!

The band has performed and made recordings with many well-known musicians from all over the world, including princpal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic and Salvationist Philip Smith, principal cornet player of the Black Dyke Mills Band Roger Webster, solo-trombone player of the Black Dyke Mills Band Brett Baker, euphonium soloists David Childs, Robert Childs and Robin Taylor and jazz trombone player Don Lusher, as well as from the Netherlands including Andre Heuvelman (principal trumpet) and Hendrik-Jan Renes (tuba) of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Ivan Meylemans (principal trombone) of the Royal Concertgebouworchestra, Brandt Attema (bass trombone) of the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Holland, Jos Jansen (bass trombone) of the Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy and jazz singer Denise Jannah. The ASB has also worked closely with classical conductors like Jurjen Hempel.

Every year the ASB organizes the "Premier Brass" concert, a concert together with a Dutch contest band. In the past the ASB has performed with "Brass Band Rijnmond", Brass Band "de Bazuin" Oenkerk, "Brass Band Schoonhoven" and Brass Band "de Wâldsang". The ASB also has performed with well known international brass bands like the International Staff Band, the German Staff Band, the Enfield Band and Canadian Staff Band.

Initially the Amsterdam Staff Band consisted of officers and employees from National Headquarters in Amsterdam. At the moment only the Bandmaster and the Executive Officer is an employee and officer, and some of the bandsmen work for National Headquarter.

A high priority with the Staff Band is that is should have a spiritual impact. It is the fervent wish of all those involved with the band that their presence and their playing will bring blessing to all who hear them.