Ronan students offer inaugural Out to Lunch Concert
BERL TISKUS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 months, 1 week AGO
One of the percussion players pays attention to her drumming at the Ronan lunch Concert last week/ (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
Reporter Berl Tiskus joined the Lake County Leader team in early March, and covers Ronan City Council, schools, ag and business. Berl grew up on a ranch in Wyoming and earned a degree in English education from MSU-Billings and a degree in elementary education from the University of Montana. Since moving to Polson three decades ago, she’s worked as a substitute teacher, a reporter for the Valley Journal and a secretary for Lake County Extension. Contact her at btiskus@leaderadvertiser.com or 406-883-4343. | June 6, 2024 12:00 AM
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.