The Ringold Band has been serving the Pittsburgh area since 1909. It has the distinction of being the oldest continually-performing community band in western Pennsylvania. Once primarily a marching band, today it is a concert band which delivers musical sunshine as a Pittsburgh community band to church congregations and residents of retirement and nursing homes. Our 25 volunteer members take special pleasure in bringing entertainment to folks who are not able to be out and about the way they once were.
The band’s season runs from September through May. After rehearsals in the fall, the band performs weekly hour-long concerts on Monday evenings from November through May. We play about 21 performances each year and return to some sites two or even three time per season.
Members of the band are both amateurs and professionals, from teens to retirees from all walks of life, who are joined together by their love of instrumental music and their dedication to the band’s mission. The band repertoire is varied, featuring standard concert band arrangements, light classical, swing, polkas, sing-a-longs, show tunes and, of course, toe-tapping marches.
There are no auditions or dues, and players select their own seating. Rehearsals are Mondays, 7:00– 8:30 pm, at the Covenant Community Church at 1630 Green Tree Road, near Forsythe Road. Concert venues are centered in the South Hills, but occasionally we travel further abroad into the surrounding areas. For their convenience, members often arrange carpools. Members provide their own instruments and stands. The band uniform is a red logo polo shirt, provided by the band, and black pants and shoes, provided by each member.
Being a member of this band is FUN. We have an annual band dinner and occasional pizza parties after a concert. Members return year after year–decade after decade–and they bring their friends, spouses, children, and even grandchildren. The band has a casual atmosphere. Participation is voluntary, not mandatory. We understand that people are busy and won’t necessarily be able to attend every concert. We enjoy what we do, and our audiences do as well. If you enjoyed instrumental music in the past or are seeking a band to call home, dust off your instrument and join us. If you need more information or would like to book a concert or suggest a concert site, please contact us.
Meet Our Music Director
As the current director of the Ringold Band, Paula Scandrol follows in the footsteps of her father Paul, the band’s previous director. She is an elementary instrumental music teacher with the Upper St. Clair School District, specializing in string instruments.
Paula has degrees in music education from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and Duquesne University. In addition to her work with the band, Ms. Scandrol also plays violin with the Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra.
In her spare time, Paula enjoys gardening, sewing, and tirelessly researching jokes to tell during the band’s concerts.