September 2025: The Sandon Brothers Orchestra – Quarantine Musicians
- avonohlen
- Sep 1, 2025
- 1 min read
When the Sandon brothers of Jackson, Minnesota, found themselves quarantined during childhood for an illness, they didn’t spend the time idly. Instead, each brother emerged from quarantine having mastered a new musical instrument, a silver lining to an otherwise difficult period.
By 1912, the four were barnstorming the West Coast on a musical tour, before returning to Minnesota to operate a movie theater in Mankato. There, they doubled as the theater’s pit orchestra and played for local dances, cementing their reputation as versatile and talented performers.
One of the most colorful members, Cassius “Cash” Sandon, later taught band in the Mankato area and became known for his astonishing instrumental range. As the Mankato Free Press noted, he could play the flute, piccolo, cornet, clarinet, alto horn, trombone, baritone, bass, drums, all members of the saxophone family, and even “rattle bones.” In one playful photograph, Cash is pictured tapping out a tune “juice harp style” on a pipe, proving he truly could get music out of almost anything.
The Sandon Brothers’ story reminds us how creativity and perseverance can flourish even in the most unlikely circumstances, and how music has long been a bridge between communities.
