Bus stop bebop

Five Triangle School band members stop for after-school practice at the corner where their school bus drops them off.

By: John Patten
   At 2:45 p.m. Feb. 4, the sound of music filled the air around Bennet Road and Perrine Pike. The tune was "Big Band Boogie," and while the band wasn’t very big, the musicians did put some "boogie" into it.
   Weather permitting, five Triangle School band members — Brian Giacopelli, Michael Lynch, Rajan Patel, Matt Nederlo and Evan Frisch — stop for the after-school practice at the corner where their school bus drops them off.
   Despite a wind-chill below 40 degrees, the fifth-grade musicians opened their cases, assembled their horns and began to play for a small but very appreciative audience.
   According to Brian, the practice sessions, which began earlier this school year, were a spur-of-the-moment idea.
   "We got off the bus and someone took out their instrument and started to play, and then we all did," he said. Now, they sneak a five- or 10-minute practice session into their way home from school regularly.
   They note there is an advantage to playing outside; they are able to play a little louder on the trumpets, clarinets and French horn than they do indoors (although the trumpet players say the clarinets sometimes make a "funny noise.")
   Their motivation stems partly from a desire to learn their instruments, and possibly from the rewards these gigs bring. Carol Ann Pennacchio, whose lawn becomes the stage when the quintet plays, often pays them with a candy or treat in appreciation of their performances.
   "All I could think of when I first heard them was of music cases being opened in New York City and people throwing in money," Ms. Pennacchio said. "All I had was some candy, so that’s what I threw in."
   Ms. Pennacchio admits to being a music fan and says she’s glad to help the young musicians out. "Anything to promote music," she said. Other neighbors stay to listen to the budding beboppers, including 3-year-old Connor Lynch, who danced to the music his brother’s band provided.
   The musicians ended the Feb. 4 session after just a couple of run-throughs on "Big Band Boogie." Perhaps sometime when the temperatures are warmer and the wind isn’t blowing, they’ll be able to play longer and the sound will carry to other corners and neighborhoods.