Beverly O’Connor

Bev O’Connor retired from the Hudson City Schools in 2022 where she taught music since 1985.  In addition to directing the Hudson High School Wind Symphony she directed the 6th, 7th and 8th grade bands at Hudson Middle School, the Hudson Middle School Jazz Ensemble, and the Hudson High School “Swing” Marching Band. Mrs. O’Connor attended Theodore Roosevelt High School in Kent and is a proud alumna of Kent State University. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree, specializing in trombone and euphonium in 1985.  Since her retirement Mrs. O’Connor has enjoyed playing in and conducting the Western Reserve Community Band as well as working with the New Horizons Band of Summit and Stark counties. Mrs. O’Connor lives in Kent with her husband Cal O’Connor.

Conductor Emeritus:

Ralph Meyer

Ralph Meyer is the co-founder and conductor of the Western Reserve Community Band, a 60+ member 501(c)(3) non-profit volunteer organization that rehearses in Hudson and performs locally. The band plays a wide variety of music including marches, overtures, transcriptions, classical, contemporary, popular, instrumental/vocal solos, Broadway show tunes, jazz and patriotic music.  The band features instrumental soloists, vocal soloists, and ensembles from within the band membership. Ralph has a BFA in Music from Ithaca College where he was a woodwind major. He taught high school and middle school instrumental music in New Jersey for 13 years. He has both performed with and conducted in a wide variety of musical settings including community bands, pit orchestras, community, and youth orchestras. Currently, he plays Tenor Saxophone with the North East Ohio Jazz Orchestra, Alto Saxophone in the Prime Time Big Band and in the Audacity of Horns saxophone quartet. He currently leads the Western Reserve Big Band and plays in the saxophone section. He previously served on the board of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. Ralph lives in Hudson with his wife Carol, their three children all went to the Hudson Schools. He retired in 2018 after a successful career in the business world leveraging his Master’s degree in Industrial Relations and Human Resources from Rutgers University. Ralph worked as an educator, trainer, manager and director level during his 40+ working years. He has a broad background in hospitality, service, operations, manufacturing, and high-tech organizations. He developed and led seminars for the private and public sector in a variety of settings and served as an Adjunct Professor at the Community College level teaching business and management courses. Ralph Started the Western Reserve Community Band in 1997 and Retired from directing it in 2025.