The Leader of the Band

The summer beat of multigenerational joy pulsates through Pierce Park on Tuesday nights.

Children bob their heads as they stand in line for the zip line, swing into the air and scramble through the playground yelling “I got you! You’re it!”

Young couples unpack picnic dinners and make themselves comfortable on the grassy incline near the band shell.

Older folks chat happily as they settle themselves in on lawn chairs and park benches.

And, in the middle of it all, Jim Thaldorf conducts the Appleton City Band with an admirable sense of glee. You’d expect nothing less from a man who devoted his professional life to coaxing beautiful music from high school students with a wide range of devotion to their instruments, and whose license plate reads ‘Sackbut,” after the old trombone.

Three of my four children had the pleasure of Mr. Thalsdof’s tutelage and they approached his classroom with varying degrees of enthusiasm and outright terror. I will always be grateful for the lessons he taught them and the way they transcended the classroom.

He also very kindly lent his conducting expertise to my mom when she asked him to tutor her for a guest appearace with the Badger band. He is a very talented and very nice man.

So, it’s always fun to see him up there, surrounded by talented musicians who are as excited as he is to play those catchy and inspirational tunes.

The Appleton City Band has been hosting free summer concerts since World War I and they’re still as popular as ever. The music and the setting combine to make those concerts both timeless and topical, which only adds to their appeal.

I highly recommend them for all ages. You can catch the Appleton City Band every Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Pack a couple of lawn chairs and we’ll see you there!