History

In 1999, Tony McDonald, 1st trombone with the Westerville Symphony, formed the Westerville Ragtime Band, made up from members and friends of the symphony.  Modeled on the orchestration of the Red Back Book, a set of Scott Joplin rags that were arranged for a small band in his time, the group consisted of violins, piccolo, clarinet, cornet, trombone, tuba, piano and drums.

Though that group continues to exist, McDonald formed his own band, Dr.Tony's Original Ragtime Band, in 2004, with a slightly modified instrumentation.  He has served as chief arranger for both ensembles.  Between the two of them, the ragtime band has appeared all over the greater Columbus area, including these venues:

• The Easton Summer Concert Series

• Lunch on the Lawn at the Springfield Museum of Art (2 years)

• The Sounds of Summer Series - Westerville (at Alum Creek Park)

• A Classical Affair at Tuttle Crossing Mall (4 years)

• The Abbey Theatre of Dublin (2 years)

• The Upper Arlington Library concert series

• The Columbus Arts Festival

• Sunday Summer Concerts on the Green - Worthington

• First Night Columbus

Personnel

Members of Dr. Tony's Original Ragtime Band:

• John Vermuelen - saxophone
  Orchestra director at Westerville North High School and Genoa Middle School.
• Lea Pearson - flute/piccolo
  Freelance musician and lecturer on injury prevention for musicians nationwide.
• Melanie Richards - clarinet
  Band director at Mifflin and Champion Middle Schools (in Columbus Public) and freelance musician.
• Richard Scranton - trumpet
  1st trumpet with the Westerville Symphony and the Scioto Valley Brass and Percussion Company.
• Tony McDonald - trombone
  (see About Dr. Tony)
• Tony Zilincik - tuba
  Assistant Professor of Tuba and Theory at Capital University, Instructor of Tuba at Otterbein College, former Eb Tuba soloist with the Brass Band of Columbus, and former director of the Central Ohio Brass Band
• Joyce Stonebraker - piano
  Choral director at Westerville North High School.
• Rick Soriano - drums
  Drummer with The Silky Ray Band, After Hours, and freelance drummer/pianist/web designer.