Visitors to Fitchburg Art Museum’s Art in Bloom exhibit opening on May 1st, couldn’t help but smile. They were greeted with a spontaneous “pop-up” concert by the eighth grade members of Applewild’s Jazz Band.

After a gathering drum beat, members of the Jazz Band began to fill the Simonds Building lobby. Adding one, two, or three members of the ensemble at a time, the rousing sounds of “Shipping Up to Boston” erupted through the museum and drew curious attendees into the building, with several spectators hanging over the edge of the balcony for the best view.

The students, led by Applewild Band Director Frank Bonanno, appeared at the museum in one of a series of concerts being staged outside of the school, including an outdoor performance at River Front Park in Fitchburg to celebrate Fitchburg’s 250th anniversary.

Mr. Bonanno said he was eager to bring the group of young polished musicians to a venue where they could be heard outside of the school community. He notes, “When the surprised looks on the people in the crowd began changing to smiles as they understood they were in for a treat, the kids experienced firsthand how music can uplift a crowd.”

The idea behind the pop-up concert came from the strong relationship Applewild shares with the Fitchburg Art Museum. Chris Williamson, Head of School noted, “It’s important that we not just play for our own community. The Fitchburg Art Museum allowed us the perfect venue to be seen and heard off campus. It’s important we branch out to the wider community and let our appearances generate excitement about the school through word of mouth.”

Word spread far and wide within 24 hours as video of the performance went viral on social media sites Facebook, Twitter and Vimeo. (To see the pop-up concert, visit https://vimeo.com/96699391) Stay tuned – another Applewild School concert may pop-up near you!