There are just too many things I can think of to try writing it all in that
little space on the alumni page, or to identify only a few things from the
bucket full of stuff that I think of as worthy of mention. So, instead, here's
my crummy little web page with everything I can remember. Check back every so
often since I'll add to it as more trash floats to the surface. 
These are in no particular order.
|
When |
What
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Every spring concert...they were all memorable in their own way, with special
emphasis on my senior year since it meant the end of a very special era for
many of us. Tears were shed by all and promises were made to never forget each
other. I'm happy to say that I remember many of those I played with, including
those older and younger, and I'm still in touch with many. Sadly, though, as
life dictates, we can't maintain contact with everyone, and many I knew have
moved on and have not been heard from since. To all of you I owe a debt for the
many special moments shared in joy and sorrow, triumph and defeat, and always
in friendship, moments that are too numerous to write down or even recall, but
that helped shape a very important time in our lives. When I'm old and gray, I
hope to remember the good things over the years, the love of family, the joy of
parenthood, and the dear friends who shared their gifts of music and self as we
collectively traveled a common road through a tumultuous time of growth and
maturing. You will remain in my thoughts, and I hope I might surface
occasionally in yours.
|
|
1979 |
I'll never forget my first marching rehearsal as a freshman in the commons
area with Dave Ward. One of the first songs we worked on (although I don't
remember ever performing it) was the theme to Superman. The first time
we put the whole band together and played the opening of that song, my ears
were ringing. I remember Bill Stonecypher yelling at me to play louder...silly
me, I thought I was playing loud already. 
|
|
1979 |
Winning my first marching competition in Oxford
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|
1979 |
Being one of only four incoming freshmen to make it into A-Band (along with
David Russell on tuba, Scott MacPherson on French horn, and Ken Watters on
trumpet)
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|
1980 |
Getting our first two marching baritones, and making my lip bleed after honking
my guts out during a halftime show
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|
1982 |
B-Cubed...'nuff said.
Go here
if you want more. 
|
|
1982 |
Having Stan Thomas, after years of playing clarinet, switch to baritone his
senior year so he could sit with the brass during marching season
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Sitting through mind-numbing football games that we usually lost, but feeling
it was all worthwhile because of the few minutes of excitement experienced
while performing a halftime show
|
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1983 |
Washington bus trip...I have cassettes of that trip if anyone is interested
|
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1983 |
District competition...playing trombone as a 2nd instrument in C-Band, and
having Randy Ball (an otherwise good trombone player) hold a note over after
the cut-off, and hearing that note reverberate around the auditorium, all the
while trying to contain laughter behind my raised trombone bell. Also trying
not to laugh while Stan played wrong notes on the baritone beside me. Finally,
recalling Mike Aycock becoming alarmed because one of the judges might
recognize him from the A-Band (he was NOT
playing trombone as a 2nd instrument and, to this day, I have no idea why he
was there).
|
|
1980 |
State competition...playing the Pines of Rome
with Ward. After the big finale, we cut off and the sound just echoed around
the hall. After a few seconds of stunned silence, one guy in the front row
managed to utter, "wow." That sent several of us into snickers as they closed
the curtains.
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1982 |
Rehearsing Scream for our halftime show...Sparks had just chewed
the low brass out for not playing loud enough, so several of us got together
and told all the trombones, baritones, and tubas to suck in a gut full of air
and, the next time we played, to let loose the loudest, raunchiest sound they
could muster. Our time came, and you could see everyone practically lift off
the ground as they took in a lung-full of air in preparation for the Big Note,
and you could almost feel the vaccum created by the air intake. The Big Note
came, and it looked as though David Russel and Christian Walters were being
blown over by a gale-force wind, as were most of the baritones and trombones.
After the honking was over, Sparks yelled down from the tower, "GREAT!" 
|
|
1981? |
Steve Williams' trumpet being ripped away from his lips during a marching
performance by a nearby flag that snagged his spit valve
|
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1982 |
Taking flash pictures in the motel room on the Opryland trip and being accused
of setting off firecrackers by the chaperones who saw the flash
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Basden buses...were there any worse?
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1983 |
My senior year at All-State when we swept most of the Red Band 1st chair
positions...the top of each section was pretty much a Who's Who of GHS players
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Getting fired up to compete against those "Texas bands" who had too much money
and better equipment than we did
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1981 |
Valdosta marching competition (?)...coming in 2nd during the prelims and being
told by Sparks that he overheard one of the field judges saying that he "ticked
fire out of that Grissom band." I doubt that story was true, but it fired us up
and we went back out for finals and kicked butt, winning the competition.
|
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Company front...and the resulting standing ovation from our ever-supportive
Band Parents
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Mike Brown's "clarinets to the box"
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Watching Lori Lang yell at her French horn section and chase them all around
the back parking lot
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Cranking it out during marching rehearsal on a clear, cool fall day and hearing
the sound echo off the mountain...SCOOP!
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Drums Across Alabama
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1982 |
That weird drum part that Carla Azar came up with for Finlandia
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Hanging out at the band hall during break
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Cramming a 300-piece marching band into that tiny band room for music rehearsal
after it started raining on us outside
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1982 |
Sid Viscous says... (the misspelling is intentional and was obtained from some
graffiti on the wall of my senior home room portable)
|
|
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Follow-the-leader drills with the baritone section going all over the parking
lot 
|
|
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Playing Sleighride
for every Christmas concert encore, as Bill and I swayed in our seats while we
played
|
| 1982 |
Performing at the grand opening of the Goldstar plant, the first South Korean
business to open up a factory in Alabama (and possibly the US); I remember that
no one knew what the South Korean national anthem was, so Sparks had to
scrounge around until he found some music for us
|
| 1983 |
Being told my a somber Sparks that he had a tape of another band that was
performing 1812 Overture just like we were that year, then listening
with much amusement and laughter as the tape revealed one of the worst bands
we'd ever heard |
| 1983 |
Playing our B-Cubed recordings from the previous weekend on the sound system in
the band room the following week, much to the dismay of the others in the room,
and having Sparks on one occasion storm out of his office, rip the tape out of
the cassette desk, and throw it into the trash can (sadly, we never recovered
it  ) |
| 1980 |
Playing keyboard in a small jazz ensemble with Ken Watters, Mark Smith, Noel
Webster, Billy Jenkins, and Damon Shratter; that group never amounted to
anything, but we had great fun rehearsing at Ken's house and tearing up his
garage. It also marks the only time I got to play in a group with Ken, who went
on to great accomplishments in the world of jazz while I wound up co-founding
B-Cubed, one of the worst musical groups in human history.
|
|
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A&W after the ballgame on a Friday night
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