Marian Thomas, who founded and directed the noon-time Brown Bag Concert Series for 21 years, was a preschool music teacher for 32 years. She was convinced that very young children benefitted from hearing good live music, so she made the children of Willow Woods Child Development Center, housed next to the church where the concerts took place, feel welcome. One day as she shopped in Brookside, she heard her name being called: “Mrs. Thomas, I want you to know that my daughter, who’s now in middle school, still talks about going to the ‘Big Church’ to hear the wonderful music.” A memory was born in that little girl, a memory which stayed with her as a positive influence. The concerts, free to the public, are about creating beautiful memories and a sense of community. When the community creates art, the arts create community.
