One recent morning, Brad Ronne, director of vocal performance at Scottsbluff (Nebraska) High School, loaded up 11 middle school students and drove them to an honor choir event in Kimball. They weren’t even his students yet, but that was the point.
“It’s a chance to get to know them before they go to high school,” he said, already imagining how they might fit in his program, maybe as an alto in the choir, a sound technician for a concert or a cast member in a future musical.
That instinct to connect with students and help them find their place has defined Ronne’s career. A 1993 Hastings College graduate with a degree in K-12 music education, he has spent decades helping students discover their talents in music, whether it’s on stage or behind the scenes.
At Scottsbluff High, Ronne leads three choirs for grades 9 through 12 and a show choir. Each spring, he directs the annual musical, an anticipated event that attracts more than 2,000 students, parents and community members over four performances. This year’s production is, fittingly, “High School Musical on Stage!,” based on the popular Disney Channel movie where “jocks, thespians and brainiacs” navigate cliques and discover their passions.
“We’re in the home stretch of the rehearsals,” Ronne said, noting the demanding schedule of full-cast and crew rehearsals four times a week as opening night approaches. “It gets crazy busy, but it’s fun.”
The musicals are a special treat for the beautiful but somewhat isolated plains city of 14,000 in Western Nebraska. “Musicals are a huge tradition in Scottsbluff, and the community really comes out for them,” Ronne said. “It’s not just parents whose kids are in the production. The whole community loves to come to the shows.”
Ronne earned a master’s degree in teaching technology from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and those skills come in handy during school musicals and concerts. He also shares what he learned directly with Scottsbluff’s students, building a music tech program that started small two decades ago with one course and a humble recording studio.
“It was kind of thrown together in a closet,” he recalled. “But it was a fun course where kids could be creative, even kids who wouldn’t join choir or band.”
Over the years, the music tech program gained momentum, and when a new high school was built in 2017 using a career academy model, administrators saw its potential. Today, Scottsbluff boasts a dedicated computer lab connected to a full recording studio, with three levels of courses. Students learn everything from audio production to stage lighting and live sound, and hone their skills at school performances.
Beyond Scottsbluff, Ronne has expanded music opportunities to other schools. From his 13 years teaching K-12 music in Mitchell (Nebraska) before joining Scottsbluff High in 2006, he saw that students in smaller, rural schools have fewer opportunities to explore music at a higher level. Following the pandemic, he launched the Panhandle Festival Choir, an annual event that brings together 300 high school singers from Western Nebraska to perform with top-tier guest conductors.
“It’s proven to be a good shot in the arm for our area schools,” he said.
Ronne’s influence has extended even more broadly through the Nebraska Ambassadors of Music European Tour, in which he served five times as staff and conductor. Nominated high school choir and band members — many from rural communities — perform across six or seven countries, including stops in London and Paris.
“They get to perform in some amazing places,” he said.
Ronne has been recognized numerous times for his leadership and vision. In 2019, he was named Outstanding Music Educator of the Year by Nebraska’s National Federation of State High School Associations. He also received last year’s Champions for Coaches Award for Vocal Music from the Nebraska School Activities Association.
Throughout his career, Ronne has maintained strong ties to Hastings College, encouraging students to participate in its honor festivals and “Messiah” performances. Many of his own students have gone on to study at HC.
“At Hastings, I definitely got a solid foundation in technique and theory,” he said. “But there was also a real investment of professors into students. They loved making music and passing that on to us.”
He points to mentors like Robin Koozer, Chip Smith, Ruth Moore, Hillary Watter and Jim Johnson as lasting influences. Their passion for music guides Ronne’s work today.
“I love seeing students come alive as their confidence builds. That keeps me really excited about doing it,” he said.
Ronne recalls one student who joined choir later in high school, initially lacking confidence but steadily growing in self-assurance. When she graduated, she shared a message he has never forgotten: “Thank you for helping me find my voice.”
“Things like that are powerful,” he said. “They inspire you to keep going.”