Around Broadneck: Chuck Mangione makes a 'Feel So Good' appearance

Considering the students, wielding flutes, clarinets and bass clarinets, alto saxes, trombones, trumpets, baritone horns - with Robert LaRussa on the sole tuba - and some percussion instruments, had only been playing for a year or two, the music they produced had a rich, polished sound.

When a flock of mite-sized musicians tore into "The Attack of the Slide Trombone," some of the 'bones were bigger than the performers.

Four principals and two assistant principals nearly upstaged the students with their rendition of "Concerto for Pots and Pans." Principals Rosemary Biggart, Dr. Susan Errichiello, Alison Lee and Jane Taylor joined assistant principals Mary Yeager and Jeffrey Haynie on stage wearing chefs' toques, starched white aprons and wry grins. Each carried a kitchen tool - Alison professionally wielded an eggbeater and Mary expertly used pot lids as cymbals - and banged, clanged or rattled on cue.

The surprise star of the evening was the grandfather of Broadneck Elementary fourth-grader Nicholas Orofino, 10. Wearing his trademark porkpie hat with a pheasant-feather brim and clutching his flugelhorn, famed player and composer Chuck Mangione watched from the wings as Nicholas performed in the trumpet section.

Looking a lot like he did in 1977, when his composition "Feel So Good" became an iconic international classic, Mangione, now 69, stepped into the lights after Ronning introduced him. "This is a wonderful group of people up here!" he said. "They are doing a marvelous job." Of his grandson, he added: "I'm glad he chose to play the trumpet!"

Feigning stage fright, he joked: "I've never been so nervous in my life!" He segued into the familiar sounds of "Feel So Good."

Afterwards, Mangione, a Manhattan resident, noted he and his wife Rosemarie had flown in from an event in Rochester to attend their grandson's concert. Looking at Nicolas, he mused on the possibility of a Chuck-Nicky duo someday: "He's got to catch up to me a little bit."

"I just started the trumpet this year," added Nicolas.

Earlier in the month, Mangione had been on tour in Seoul, Korea, where "Feel So Good" remains the top-requested instrumental tune. In early July, he'll be in Lodz, Poland, before performing July 13 through 18 at Ram's Head on West Street, followed by a week at the Blue Note in Manhattan.

Trumpeter Nick Sorci of Arnold Elementary asked Mangione to sign the DVD he'd just purchased in the lobby. Mangione quickly obliged. He also signed the certificates of participation given to every student performer.

In addition to the small gold model of flugelhorn Mangione wore on a gold chain around his neck, he also proudly wore a medallion on a black and white ribbon - just like the one given to all the youth and adults who took part in the production.

The scene in the Broadneck High auditorium a few days earlier was a little bit gnarlier during the annual Guitar Festival, open to guitar students at public and private county high schools. Patient, laid-back music instructor Craig Tombascio hosted and directed the one-day event. Due to snow day makeups, the Guitar Festival's original date was moved to May. Several schools planning to participate were unable to reschedule. Broadneck, with 90 students, had the largest contingent, followed by 30 each from Old Mill and Glen Burnie High Schools.

The day included three workshops with professional artists. "The first session was 'Slide and Pedal Steel Guitar' by Gena Smith, who demonstrated slide guitar, also known as the bottleneck slide on electric and pedal steel guitar," said Craig. "Session two, 'Guitar for the College Years' by Jeremy Gilless covered some of the things one would need to prepare for an audition to study guitar in college. The third session, 'The Business of Music' by Ken Massey, was a lecture on copyright, music publishing and licensing, and how musicians make money." At midday, Craig staged a concert of top student-musicians, followed by the pros.

Among them were field hockey players, Broadneck sophomores Lizl Hartlein and Jacelyn Faro, who strummed and did vocals for two original compositions, "Angel Wings" and "Crushed," to wild applause. "I wrote 'Crushed' in one weekend," said Lizl. "It's about people you have crushes on and they don't like you back so you're crushed."

Glen Burnie junior Dakota Slay-Vincent wowed with his cover of Isaac Albeniz's "Leyenda." He says he's formed a band that will be gigging this summer. The charming Justin Furlough, a junior at Old Mill, performed "Lagrima" by Francisco Tarrega. A member of the Old Mill Steel Band, his next big performance will be at the Maryland Special Olympics in Towson June 11.

Broadneck senior Jon Struse, who will be attending Maryland Institute College of Art this fall, used an Ovation guitar owned by his father to play "Ashes in the Sea." The body had holes in it, giving it a bass sound. Jon used the guitar as a stringed and percussion instrument during his polished, finger-style performance.

You can get more than a degree at Anne Arundel Community College - with a little luck you could furnish your house or makeover your wardrobe with gently used finds at the 8th annual "Big Flea Market and Community Yard Sale," on Parking Lot F on the Arnold campus, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 5, rain or shine. Actually, if the rain flies, the fleas flee inside two nearby buildings, the Cade Center and the C.A.L.T. Building.

One flea favorite, Sarah Davies, 61, of Arnold, has set up a table of jewelry and collectibles every year and is returning again, along with lots of vendors offering bargains on everything, including the kitchen sink, furniture, exercise equipment, home decor, toys, tools, clothing and you-name-it. Admission is free and open to the public. If you'd like to clean out your basement or attic and participate as a vendor, spaces are $25 if you reserve by May 28. Call AACC Event Services at 410-777-2614 or visit www.aacc.edu/events.

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