The quiet unassuming man who paints festival posters and writes songs — when inspired — is full of surprises. Only those who know Ron Cutrera would learn he is probably the only male kindergarten teacher to have taught for more than 15 years in Iberia Parish. Also a marine veteran, Cutrera and his family will be front and center as military veterans are introduced to the audience at the annual Iberia Cultural Resources Association concert. “Stars & Stripes — A Musical Celebration,” will again this year feature “A Salute to Our Military Veterans.” The free concert will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 30 at the Sugar Cane Festival Building in New Iberia’s City Park.

Cutrera didn’t consider the possibility that the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra might one day perform a song he had penned. However, his cousin Tonio Cutrera plays percussion for the professional company and the spark of an idea ignited a flame.

“Somewhere I must have heard the title in my head or seen it somewhere, ‘America Stand Tall.’ It was one of those songs that came quickly. Those are usually the best ones for me,” Cutrera said. “Stand tall could mean a lot of things like being proud of your country, helping your neighbor, things like that.”

Maestro Mariusz Smolji heard Cutrera’s “America Stand Tall” and commissioned an arranger and composer from Baton Rouge, William Montgomery, to transcribe the simple melody into full orchestration.

“I worked with the arranger a little bit and told him what I heard in my head. We worked back and forth,” said Cutrera. “The first time I’ll get to hear it is at the concert, or the rehearsal right before.”

Francis LeBlanc, choral director at Abbeville High School will be performing Cutrera’s song during the concert Sunday.

David Torns of Baton Rouge will be the guest conductor for this special concert. He recently was appointed associate conductor of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and is the principal pops conductor for the group. Prior to his post in Baton Rouge, Torns worked with the Lansing Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Astoria Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, among others.

As music director of the Louisiana Youth Orchestras, he is a passionate promoter of music education. Torns has appeared in concert with student orchestras throughout the United States including the Vanderbilt University Symphony, Nashville Youth Symphony, West Virginia University Symphony, the North Carolina School for the Arts “Musica Piccola” Orchestra, and the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra. He conducted the 2013 All-Southern California Honor Orchestra. Torns designs and implements engaging educational concerts reaching over 10,000 students each year.

A graduate of the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University and the College of Creative Arts at West Virginia University, Torns began his musical studies at the age of five on the violin in his native city of San Diego, California.

Humble Beginnings

Cutrera said at first he wasn’t too good at songwriting. He would start a song but couldn’t finish it. Then around 2004 he found he got better. Although many of his songs have been pitched to local artists, none have been recorded or even performed.

Attending college at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then USL, Cutrera took music courses, and said music really runs in his family. Although he tried piano and guitar, music did not become his forte, until now. As a reflection on the upcoming debut, Cutrera contrasted his writing style with that of the maestro.

“I write a lot of novelty songs that are rather unique,” Cutrera said “It’s a compliment (to have my song performed) because the maestro is a high class musician and director.”

The retired teacher, artist and songwriter will be in the audience next Sunday and is excited to hear a song he wrote performed for the first time. Bring the family and don’t be surprised if its captured on film. It’s a historical moment.