Amsterdam’s Music Man

By Bob Cudmore

   Amsterdam is well-known for music, even, back in the day, a Little Symphony Orchestra.  There were drum corps during and after World War II, a band based at Mohawk Carpet Mills directed by members of the Musolff family.

   The 13th Brigade Band played at Amsterdam social occasions. In 1902, that band along with the Maney and McNaughton Orchestra, played at the inaugural run of the trolley line to Hagaman. John A. Maney was in the orchestra. Also a photographer, Maney’s photos have become an essential record of life in early 20th century Amsterdam.

   On the country music side were Steve Lopuch’s Pals of the Saddle and Dusty Miller with his Colorado Wranglers. 

   Gerald Barnell was the youngest of eight children who were raised on Amsterdam’s South Side where their father operated a grocery store and was one of the founders of Mount Carmel Church.

   The family was from Italy.  The family name had been Anglicized from Baranello to Barnell.

   In 1915, brothers Angelo, Charles and Anthony organized Barnell's Concert Orchestra. The group played for Amsterdam’s well-to-do, performed at Saratoga casinos and the New York governor's mansion.

   The orchestra disbanded in 1922 when brother Anthony contracted a bone disease. 

   Soon the youngest Barnell organized Jerry Barnell and His Society Orchestra, playing local spots such as Jollyland amusement park.

   Gerald Barnell graduated from Amsterdam High in 1929 then earned a bachelor's degree at Ithaca College.  A talented violinist, he later did graduate work at the University at Albany, Syracuse University, Indiana University, Columbia University and Julliard.

   He taught for a year at Cazenovia Seminary and joined the Amsterdam schools in 1934. He served the local school system until 1973 as instrumental director, leading high school, junior high and elementary bands and orchestras.

   Barnell also performed with the Barnell Concert Orchestra and directed his own Union Orchestra. He was a member of Local 133 of the Professional Musicians Union.

   He married Antoinette Morini in 1940. When WCSS radio went on the air in 1947, Barnell produced a talent show, "Youth on Parade", and hosted the Sunday Italian show with Salvatore Morini.

   Barnell entertained children by making his violin sound like a bumblebee or train whistle. He had many private students, including popular guitarist and vocalist Rachelle Cotugno.

  In the 1950s, it was Barnell's inspiration to meld the co-ed high school band with female cheerleaders and baton-twirling majorettes whose signature number became "Lullaby of Birdland," with majorettes forming a kick line during halftime at football games reminiscent of the Radio City Rockettes.

   Today's majorette uniforms are still handmade from white corduroy for each individual, similar to the uniforms of Barnell’s day.  The majorettes still perform “Lullaby of Birdland.”

   After Barnell retired in 1973, he taught music education at the College of Saint Rose in Albany.  He died in 1998; his wife Antoinette died in 2001.

   They lived on Phillips Street. Barnell's son Jerry was a business educator at Schalmont High School in Rotterdam; the younger Barnell played bass drum in high school and college. Young Barnell's wife, Terri Mikolaitis, was an Amsterdam High majorette in the late 1950s.

   Patricia Mercadante Valiente, Barnell’s

great niece, served as choral director at Amsterdam High. Valiente noted that one of her great uncle’s accomplishments was organizing the first All County Music Festival in Montgomery County in 1956.

   Since Barnell's day, the high school band has been led by numerous individuals and performs in many notable locations.  Today, the musical group is known as the Amsterdam Marching Rams and includes majorettes and a flag team. The band was part of a segment seen on Oprah Winfrey’s national television show.

Monday, March 18, 2024