INPERSON
Strike Up the Band
Bridgeville Brass is blowing away
audiences in the South Hills.
By Paul Glasser
F
or more than five years, the Bridgeville
Brass quintet has been enjoying the
success of meeting the needs of
students and the community through
music.
In 2012, Ryan Wolf founded the group so
aspiring young musicians could improve
their skills and the community would also
benefit.
“The students get a great experience and
the audience has a great experience,” Wolf
says. “It’s all worth it, even though finding
a need and then making it happen can be
difficult.”
The inspiration for the Bridgeville Brass
came from Wolf’s experience as a young
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trumpet player at South Fayette High
School. He formed an independent jazz
band with some friends, and they played at
local venues. Wolf wanted to give students
the chance to perform in public without
depending on anyone else. “You don’t get
that a lot in schools,” he notes.
The Bridgeville Brass performs at several
events throughout the year, which will
include the Bridgeville/South Fayette Relay
For Life on May 20 at the South Fayette
High School stadium. Other events have
been Christmas concerts and performances
at local retirement homes. Wolf says the
elderly residents love hearing the students
perform.
“They’re like rock stars!” he explains. “The
students get to see the power of the music
they’re playing. That’s why I wanted them to
get out of the schools and music stores and
into the community to play for people.”
Both Wolf and the students have
learned a lot from their participation in the
Bridgeville Brass. Wolf originally conducted
every single song when he founded the
quintet, but quit doing that after a friend
suggested he stop.
“It forces them to listen to each other,” he
notes. “If they get into trouble, they have
to dig themselves out of it. Stepping away
makes them rely on each other.”
The result is a very close-knit quintet.