Piippo Works

I've had The Music Man on my mind lately. I'm sure this is a big surprise to those who already know I work at and that we're hosting Meredith Willson's THE MUSIC MAN on Mach 3 & 4. 😉

I'm not plugging the show right now! (but also tickets are available at www.niacc.edu/boxoffice Level 1 $99 & Level 2 $89) REALLY what I wanted to say is how much The Music Man has impacted me over the years.

Yes, we watched the movie nearly every year in elementary music. However, my pride in the Music Man and Meredith Willson really came from being in the Mason City Community School District High School Band. Playing "Mason City, Go" and "76 Trombones", wearing insufferably hot uniforms in the Band Festival Parade, volunteering for pep band, and my mom and sister also being MCHS Band Alumni made me proud to hold up the traditions of honoring Meredith.

I loved being in band so much that I also made art about being it. My senior year I made a small collage painting of Meredith leading the North Iowa Band Festival parade. This piece (The Best Band in the Land) was accepted into a North Iowa art conference. It just so happened this conference was hosted by MCCS and being held at NIACC the same year. This meant as an art club member, I got to help hang the exhibition sparking my career in gallery work and museum studies.

These little things all built up for me. Although I think I would still be me without these experiences, they helped me on my way. That path led me back to NIACC to work in 2023 where I'm still working now. In my first few weeks we hosted Sutton Foster and arranged for her to receive a key to the city and tour Music Man Square. You can see me holing her purse in the background of one of the pictures I've added. I was terrified of this new job, but she was so kind and reassuring.

I've had some bumps and turns in my life, but I'm glad that I'm here now. I get to make art and programs for the Series and promote tourism and my love for a hometown that's always been good to me. I'm proud to live in a town that loves the arts, and I think Meredith Willson helped us get here.

(also get tickets to see the show 😉)