3 minute read
The Music Man Puts Down His Baton (For Now)
The Music Man Puts Down His Baton (For Now)
Find him an audience, he’ll be there to wow you.
By Drew Babb
Photography by Sarah Huntington
Harold Hill’s got nothing on Rick Reaves, who just retired after leading bands and ensembles and orchestras for 48 years.
Not that Rick is looking to sell you 70 or so trombones. He’s always been the musical real deal. One statistic might convince you. When he was hired to direct the marching and jazz bands at Loudoun Valley High, he started out with 37 students. Within weeks they swelled to 67, and crescendoed to more than 100 the next year. The man is nothing if not magnetic.
Over his almost five decades, he’s played in or directed five drum corps, 55 marching bands, 43 jazz ensembles, 20-something professional bands, 43 Tuba Christmas ensembles, and 20 one-off musical theatre pit bands.
But wait. We need a backstory, a libretto for this conductor. Here it comes, albeit a skosh staccato.
Born and raised in Endicott, New York. As a kid, big in drum and bugle corps, starting at age 8 in the Village Colonials in Endicott. He heads south for Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky. An obvious conducting prodigy, while still an undergrad, he’s loaned out three afternoons to set up a music department at nearby St. Camillus Academy. The budget is a tad tight. Rick borrows instruments from local residents. The kids share the horns.
One of his Union classmates is Nancy Johnson, daughter of Dr. Warren Johnson of Purcellville. Nancy’s hometown will eventually lure Rick to Loudoun County. Back to New York to Chenango Forks High (The principal asks Rick if the marching band can spell out “Chenango.” Rick answers, “Well sir, we’re pretty small but we can give you a pretty darn big “C.”
Next come podium stops in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he learns piano rebuilding and tuning, then Jefferson County, West Virginia, before landing at Loudoun Valley (LVHS).
Principal Ken Culbert noted: “Everybody knows you and loves you here, Rick.”
At Valley, starting in 1999, he attains legendary status. A baton-wielding banshee leading marching bands, jazz ensembles, pit orchestras for musicals, in front of drum lines prowling the halls on Spirit Fridays, judging district and regional competitions, leading private bands at vineyards, pubs and auditoriums everywhere.
He’s also no Johnny One Note. He’s also been a dedicated firefighter and a former president of the Purcellville Volunteer Fire Company.
We asked Rick Reaves to create his dream dinner party combo. The invitees: Victor Wooten, bass; Dianna Krall, keyboards and vocals; Peter Erskine or Joe Morello, drums; Benny Goodman, clarinet; Tony Bennett and Rick himself, male vocals, Pat Martino or Wes Montgomery, guitar; Stanley Turrentine, sax and Henry Mancini, arrangements; Jerry Mulligan, bari sax; Dave Steinmeyer, sax; Jim Pugh, trombone; Gary Burton, vibes.
Conductor: Rick Reaves. of course.
His next opus? “I’m going to sleep in for a while. Then I’ll get out there and help. I have to be around people.”
After the interview, Rick says bye-bye this way. “Catch Snarky Puppy’s ‘Something’ on YouTube. The singer, Lalah Hathaway, will knock you out!” (She does. A link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SJIgTLe0hc)
