- April 26, 2024
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When he was 16, Ronnie Drumm won the “Ted Mack Amateur Hour” — an early version of popular television shows such as “America’s Got Talent.” Throughout his life, he studied at the New England Conservatory of Music, led his own big band, was the musical conductor for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, played trumpet for an episode of “The Simpsons” and started a youth band that toured Japan.
But for Drumm, now 82 and a resident of Horizon West, nothing compares to playing for residents of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.
“Emotionally for me, I get more satisfaction playing for these people,” he said. “I can go in a room, and no matter where they are, once you start this music, on some level, it consumes these people. They’ll be sitting there and tapping their foot, and then they’ll start mouthing the words to some of the old songs. That is when you know, as far as I’m concerned, that you’re really doing something good for those people.”
Last October, the love of his life, Beverly, spent her last days in a nursing home. Drumm spent every day by her side, and while he was there, he performed a concert for the residents.
After his wife died, Drumm moved to Horizon West to be close to his son, who works for Disney.
Drumm first played trumpet when he was a 6-year-old growing up in Massachusetts. By the time he was 13, he was playing at gigs each new year.
He was a busy 16-year-old, traveling to New York to audition for the “Ted Mack Amateur Hour,” graduating from high school and attending the New England Conservatory of Music.
Following music school, he played in bands for a while until he started his own big band — conducting musicians
such as Bob Hope, Wayne Newton, Jackie Gleason, Jack Benny and Lorne Greene. During the 1970s, he was featured on TV specials — Miss World USA and a Ringling Brothers TV special.
Drumm stuck with the field through adversity. After practicing hard for the Miss World USA special, the show ran into trouble. The day of the show, protestors showed up to picket the arena. One of the performers with whom Drumm was working was unable to cross the picket line. The performers were forced to scramble and fill in all the gaps.
“But it was very interesting,” Drumm said. “In fact, I’ve been thinking lately, I wonder if I contacted ABC, if I could get a tape of that show.”
In 1975, Drumm joined the circus — becoming the musical conductor for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Although he was passionate about the music he performed, it wasn’t any easy job. The circus traveled often and was more dangerous than people realized, with Drumm often making difficult decisions.
He saw two people die after falling from their mechanic safety devices — one during a live performance in Fresno, California. To divert the children’s attention from the injured woman, Drumm called for the next entertainment and music.
The local newspaper criticized him for being “coldhearted,” but Drumm called them to say he had done it to protect the kids.
Throughout Drumm’s life, he has always enjoyed educating people, and he got to take some of his students around the world. In the 1970s, he started a youth band of 55 children that was invited to tour Japan for three weeks. There, they played for the major television shows in Japan and recorded an album.
Although those days have passed, Drumm still keeps in touch with his students, many of whom now have grandchildren of their own. One of his students, who now lives in California, still calls every week for a trumpet lesson over the phone.
“I’m very sincere about what I do,” Drumm said. “I’m very diligent. I’ve been very fortunate to have played music all my life and to have helped so many kids and hear from them all the time like I do through the internet now; it’s so fulfilling.”
Contact Jennifer Nesslar at [email protected]
