MOUNT VERNON — The Licking County 4-H Band rolled into Mount Vernon on Saturday to perform a late-afternoon, late-summer concert on the grounds of The Living Center.
As TLC staff served lemonade, homemade ice cream and cookies, a large crowd of listeners heard classic songs such as “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “Rock Around the Clock,” “Hey Jude” and “Jump, Jive ‘n Wail.”
The audience got to participate when a cakewalk was announced. Participants dropped a quarter into a container, then joined the long line circling the band. Volunteers carrying cakes, cookies and other homemade desserts walked in the opposite direction. During three tunes, whenever the band suddenly stopped playing in the middle of a song, the line of people abruptly stopped and the person standing next to someone holding a dessert won it.
Rosie Auskings, who has a reputation for being lucky, won a plate full of chocolate cupcakes and was delighted.
“You always win,” Sue McMillan, manager of The Living Center, told Auskings.
“I used to be lucky,” Auskings said.
Until, she said, her sister, Shirley Clutter, came from Texas to spend the summer, and Auskings’ traditional good luck somehow transferred to Clutter.
Undaunted, Auskings offered cupcakes to those around her.
The cakewalk proceeds of $60 went to the band for expenses.
Jane Copenhefer of Newark has directed the band for 22 years, after being a baritone-playing member for seven years. She said that of the 110 band members, about 60 performed on Saturday; others are on family vacations or at band camps. Copenhefer noted that many of the musicians marched earlier that day in the Pataskala street fair parade.
The band’s treasurer, Alline Morehouse of Newark, said the members range in age from 10 to 19 and represent 11 Licking County high schools and nine colleges.
“They start practice on March 1,” said Morehouse, “and they practice every Wednesday through March, April and May. They go to band camp the first week of June at Camp Ohio, and from then on they give two to three performances a week, at churches, nursing homes, at the Granville Fourth of July parade. They spent the week at the Hartford Fair, in a really nice dorm built for them by band alumni.”
Olivia Cooper, 12, daughter of Amy and Tom Cooper of Utica, is completing her first year with the band, playing a trumpet that has been played by two family members before her.
“It’s very fun,” she said. “It keeps you busy. We played every day at the Hartford Fair, but I had time to hang out with my friends, too.”
Olivia, who inherited what she called “musical genes” from both sides of her family, said she also plays piano, organ, sousaphone and a clarinet crafted in Paris, France, that was played by her great-uncle, the late Larry Pembrook. Her parents recently had the vintage clarinet refurbished for Olivia.
Brandin Springer, 16, of Heath said he’s enjoying his fourth year playing trumpet with the band.
“I like everything about it,” he said, “from meeting new friends to playing cool music.”