Ronan students offer inaugural Out to Lunch Concert

Last Wednesday brought sunshine, a smattering of clouds and a lot of good music to the lawn in front of Ronan Middle School.

Alicia Lipscomb, band director for grades 6-12, and the Ronan High School and Middle School bands delivered a lively Out-to-Lunch Pops Concert for about 75 spectators. 

“It was an amoebic crowd,” Lipscomb said, since once high school lunch started more students joined the group. 

Senior Heidi Webster, who plays the bass, said it might be the first time they’d held an outdoor concert. Lipscomb agreed. She added that Webster and the RHS Jazz Band both earned superior ratings at the State Music Festival. 

Student band members, dressed all in black, took turns playing in their various groups – jazz band, concert band, percussion ensemble, drum line, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade bands, plus one sixth and seventh grade combination piece.

Hayley Bergh’s grandparents were among the spectators enjoying the sun and music. Chris Jackson came to see her granddaughter play her flute. Some tunes, such as Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) had students and audience members singing along. Saxophonist Connor Durglo even danced on the pony wall outside the front door.

Lipscomb said she was trying to think up a way to have a band concert that didn’t conflict with the flurry of end-of-school activities. Due to a lot of positive feedback from parents and teachers, Lispcomb said she’ll probably do an outdoor concert again.