Bronxville Pops Band Returns for 36th Annual Summer Concert Series

The Bronxville Pops Band kicked off their 36^th summer concert series Wednesday evening at 8pm on the lawn of the Bronxville School. Despite the sizzling summer weather, many families and senior citizens of the area gathered to watch the gifted bunch perform American classical music—from Sousa to Gershwin.

The eclectic make-up of the band boasts professional players and music teachers as well as instrumentalists who double as doctors, businessmen, housewives, students and retirees in their domestic lives.

At the helm is musical director Al Mingrone, a Columbia University alumnus who taught instrumental music and directed student bands at the Bronxville Schools from 1965 to 1988.

The Pops, whose current incarnation features 62 members began in 1974 at the suggestion of Barbara Seem, the former owner of Gramatan Travel, and other Bronxville citizens who thought an outdoor summer concert series would benefit the town.

Mingrone credits the community for keeping the band alive through generous donations and support.

"The concert series is an artistic endeavor that gives the community a certain cohesiveness," said Mingrone. "It's just one of many things that Bronxville has to offer."

The communal nature of the band keeps potential wanderers returning yearly. Trumpeter Becky Lipsitz began playing with the Pops during her undergraduate years at Sarah Lawrence College and travels to participate in the series each summer, despite pursuing graduate studies in Wisconsin.

Kenneth Murphy, a Hofstra University senior in Music Education, is among the youngest musicians participating in the series. Murphy joins the Pops for the second straight year at clarinet, and cites the community's enthusiasm as a catalyst for prolonging the band's successful run.

"The series familiarizes people with all different kinds of music," said Murphy. "People come out and listen to us. They support us."

The atrocious summer heat may have played a part in turning people away from the series kick-off performance on Wednesday. Although Mingrone expected 250 to 300 spectators in attendance, even he feared the heat might have scared people away.

"This is unusual. The heat is up in the 90s, but we hope that by the time the concert rolls around we'll be in the high 70s to low 80s," said Mingrone. According to The Weather Channel, Bronxville temperatures lingered around 85 degrees as the concert began.

"Turnout may be a bit low," said audience member Ruth Lipsitz of Connecticut. "It's a nice night, however, and there is a bit of a breeze."

Since the Bronxville Pops Band is not yet a corporation, they are accepting donations by mail and at all concerts via the Shelter Pet Alliance. Donors will be added to a list of supporters at each week's program throughout the series.

"The band's tax ID number is in the works, so we are being sponsored by the Alliance, run by [President] Jill Potter and [Treasurer] Allison Roesser," added Mingrone. "They've been gracious enough to use their Tax ID number for raising the funds, so it is donated to us through them."

Despite the heat and relatively low turnout, the white-clad collective played with gusto under the added warmth of massive floodlights as listeners applauded and laughed heartily. Rick Baglioni, teacher and former co-owner of Harvey Electronic's record department in White Plains, maintained "the night turned out to be rather comfortable – low key, nice music, nice people."

The Bronxville Pops Band summer concert series will run every Wednesday at 8pm through July 28^th at the Bronxville School lawn.