Cape Municipal Band conductor embarks on 19th season at the helm

The Cape Girardeau Municipal Band began its performance season this week, and at the helm stands Ron Nall, director of the group.

This season will be Nall's 19th, marking a milestone as the longest running director of the municipal band since it began in 1900. William Shivelbine conducted the municipal band for 18 years.

"So I've just broken that record," Nall said. "Of course, that doesn't compare at all to Mr. Leist's 42 years," he added, speaking of the now retired director of the Jackson Municipal Band.

Nall was the band director at Cape Girardeau Central High School for 19 years until he retired in 1998. He said his goal is to try to make 20 years as director of the muny band, which will be in the 2012 season.

"If things are going well and I still enjoy it -- and I do -- I may go longer," Nall said. "I have no set deadline of retiring, so we'll see how it goes."

Neil Casey, band director at Central High School, taught with Nall for 15 years. Casey plays clarinet in the muny band.

"Ron's a fine band director. He works very hard and is very proud of the muny band and the slice of the community that it has," Casey said. "He's a director that loves marches, and people who know the muny band know that marches are a big part of the repertoire of what we play."

The Cape Girardeau Municipal Band performs from 8 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday at the band shell at Capaha Park. Each week's concert features a special guest conductor for a song. Mayor Harry Rediger conducted the band in its first concert of the season Wednesday.

"Usually for our first concert, we try to get the mayor," Nall said.

The guest conductors are chosen by Narvol Randol Jr., president of the municipal band. In his years leading the band, Nall said he's seen many guest conductors come through. Randol typically books local business owners or prominent people in the community.

"Gary Lynch was athletic director out at Central, and he directed using a tennis racket and a baseball bat," Nall said. "Sometimes, if we don't have somebody scheduled, we'll spot someone out in the audience that we know or maybe that used to be in the band or active in music, and we'll surprise them and have them come up. They don't have to be a very good director. If they can just get the band started, we can play without much direction."

Nall said the band occasionally does themed concerts.

For its first concert Wednesday, the municipal band performed an Americana-themed series of songs.

"All the composers are Americans, and there is folk music and marches and things," he said.

Theme nights range from marches with John Philip Sousa and Karl King to child-friendly music and "south of the border" selections.

"I enjoy the themed concerts," Nall said. "There's a lot of variety that you can do, and I think the people enjoy that as well."

In his 19 years, Nall has developed a formula for the concerts. He starts each half of the concert with a march and usually ends with a musical.

"We often feature a section of the band, too," he said.

Those familiar with the concert series know that special guest entertainers are also part of the show. Nall said occasionally there isn't a special guest, which gives the band more time to play.

"That helps me a little bit as well, as far as programming," he said. "Instead of playing seven or eight tunes, I can play nine or 10, so that gives me a little more variety."

Nall played French horn with the band before becoming director. He's been active with the band on and off since about 1966. With a background in public school, he started to see former students show up to play.

"I started counting and 29 former students of mine were members of the municipal band," he said. "Many of them were not high school kids at that time, but they were people who had grown up in the high school program, maybe played some in college, and now were adults and still playing in the band."

Nall said seeing those familiar faces still active in music was rewarding for him.

"That's the good thing about playing an instrument," Nall said. "If you are a football player or baseball player, there comes a point you have to quit, but you can play an instrument forever."

Nall cited Dan Cotner as an example. Cotner is 87, and continues to play trombone with the municipal band.

"It's a lifelong activity if you stay at it," Nall said.