The past week has been hectic but fun. I attended three school concerts within a five-day period (plus a performance of the musical Meshuggah Nuns at the Paradise Theater in Faribault, starring my friend Myrna). So it seemed only fitting, considering all the schedule-juggling, that the district band concert last night had a circus theme.

The Northfield district band concert is a great one – every fall, all the band students in grades 5 through 12 gather on the floor of the high school gymnasium and take turns performing for a standing-room only crowd of family and friends in the bleachers. It’s noisy and crowded, but it’s worth it to see the progression of musicianship, from youngest to oldest.

Six years ago this month, I launched into a project to learn more about the life and career of my great-grandfather, pioneer Minnesota bandmaster G. Oliver Riggs. It all started with a comment my dad made about his “music man” grandfather – and a realization on my part that I knew next to nothing about this ancestor of mine.

My intention at first was simply to help my dad with a timeline of G. Oliver’s career that he could pass on to the St.

Some days – and they tend to be cloudy Mondays – it’s a wonder I accomplish anything truly productive. Today, for reasons that are too boring to explain, I ended up at the State Historical Society of Iowa’s website and discovered that the organization has shared some of its photo collections on Flicker.

I was hoping to find an album devoted to vintage Iowa bands – no such luck.

I am still getting my bearings after a recent trip to New York City. I loved all the walking, all the sightseeing, and all the delicious food! And, this may surprise those of you familiar with my vacations: I left my cardboard G. Oliver Riggs at home. That’s because – as far as I can tell – my well-traveled great-grandfather never visited New York.

No G. in NYC? Why not, I wonder?

The only New York connection I’ve found is a feature article about G.
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