TAHS Band Program

[Ray I.]

Well back in my day (the late 70's) the football team HATED the band. :stick: Competitions started and the band was doing pretty good even back then.The Sr. high band had a date to compete on a Satyrday night and we,the football team were playing a rare Saturday night game at BG.The band opted for the competition instead of the game. The Jr. high band played in their stead and we, the football team KICKED BG BUTT!! :guns: That Jr. high band inspired us as a team! :bluebounce: They played their hearts out and so did we. Harlow, you maybe were a member of that very band.

P.S. The competition was rained out , but NOT the football game , LOL.

[Harlow]

Yes Ray I, I remember.

Wasn't that the night that Rozick set the school record for yards in a game.

I also remember many a game at Adams School and the Cemetery. It was always pick your poison. The cement strip that was the first down or the tombstones that were sidelines.

Hope all is well Ray.

[rjgherrity]

Well as many of you may know the position that was at risk of being terminated is staying. However, if you read today's Herald you will notice the article about the budget for 07-08. In that article you will see that the entire athletic dept received over $320,000 and that no mention is made as to what the music dept received. Now I don't know and I don't expect many on here to know but I can guarentee that the music dept didn't even get 15% of that. I would just like to let the public know how much the music dept receives compared to the athletic dept.

Also, I think it would be interresting to do a study on comparing how many students persue sports in college as compared to those who persue music. Then to see how many choose that to be their career, compare how many go on to pro sports as to how many go into a musical field of teacher/acting/performing/instructing and so on.

[Harlow]

I was in band in High School, but I knew where things stood and so did Gerry Roberts.

We didn't learn our competition music until he knew we were dead on with the National Anthem, Alma Mater and Tyrone Will Shine.

Competition Band is not part of the school cirriculum. It was a bonus activity. That is one reason we had summer band. We marched in parades so we could pay for the band trips.

There are many more kids that participate in Athletics than Music and some do both.

If you make it Music against Sports, Music will lose.

Even in years when our Band was the best in the area, we never sold out Gray Field for a competition.

If you take in what comes in from tickets from Tyrone football games, they aren't too far from making the athletic budget right there.

I am glad you enjoy being in band, but lets be realistic. Look at any major college. The music budget at PSU is not even close to the athletic budget.

The mission was accomplished. The program was saved. Now what you need to do is convince the parents of fellow band members to invest in private lessons and make the band great again.

[rjgherrity]

What all can be done though to get more parental involvement? I'm new to this area being fresh from high school so I really need advice in this area. I really want to see this program flourish again, I have seen it at it's best and it was amazing. I know if it got back to that standard then it will grow. I just need help with ideas, I can do anything you all tell me to and try to think of my own ideas but I need some help from alumni on how to get parents involved and how to keep them involved even when the season is over.

[Harlow]

That is the big question.

How do you get the parents to actually know what their kids are doing?

How do you get parents to think that an activity their kid is in is more than a babysitting service?

Good luck solving the problem.

[banksy]

That is the big question.

How do you get the parents to actually know what their kids are doing?

You can only monitor them to some degree. At some point you have to trust them.

How do you get parents to think that an activity their kid is in is more than a babysitting service?

You don't. If that's what they use it for, then that's what it becomes.

[akindergartenmom]

Well, just an idea, but how about having the band show up at the local parades. When I was in the band we always marched in the parades. This year the Tyrone band did not show up for the St. Patricks Day parade or Memorial Day. Also, bring back summer band. Keep kids interested all year, and referencing a previous post from someone else, please push the Star Spangled Banner and Alma Mater. They are important songs and if you can't play those well, then competition music, which is always harder, will have to wait. I would love to see the trophy case full of 1st place like it was when I was in band. I have no memory of a third place, or any good sportsmanship awards, which is what TOB always gave to the bands who didn't place well. Maybe even showing tapes to the band members of the band from the late 80's early 90's and giving them an idea of what it was and could be again as far as marching and playing goes, would be a motivational tool (?)

[BeachBiker]

UPDATE:

http://www.tyronepa.com/news/article.php?id=9949

Hopefully, this is all good news; not just the Band Director position, but ALL the hires/appointments.

I am also pleased to see at least 1 close relative of mine named in the article, and wish the best in future results to all.

[TAHS90graduate]

I agree that Tyrone School District really needs to get its act together and rebuild the band program. Its a real travisty that they let it go they way they did. Getting rid of the band program should be a non starter and whoever thought of it should be taken off the board. Once again people like to take the easy way out never mind that the kids who have musical talent may never find their true talents if they never have the opportunity. If the elementary band program is cancelled then you may as well fortget about the any other junior or senior band. Building a great band like we had in the 80s takes time and it starts in elementary school.

The excuse that the kids are just too busy is once again taking the easy road. Yes, kids do have an interest in getting summer job etc. but I think if the band program is a pretigious as it was and there were incentives then "IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME" Its time that we rebuild this band so the infamous TAHS Marching Band regains the respect that it once had. I was embarresed to see the band last year when I came to a home game. I agree that Gerry must be rolling in his grave. A true American hero who molded the minds of many students.

I agree that with the age of emails, etc TAHS could reach out to the many alums and get donations for uniforms, music, instruments etc. This is the way other schools do it. Call the PSU Blue Band office and see if they can give TAHS some info on how to rebuilt the band and raise money. There are thousands of TAHS Band Alums who would be more than happy to write a check ($10, $100, $1000 etc) if they knew that it would bring back the tradition that once was. Donations could get your name on a plague, season tickets, band memoribilia etc.

I graduated from TAHS in 90 and found my way to PSU, all of 20 miles away, where I was in the Penn State Blue Band for 4 years. Without the TAHS band program I would have never found my way there. I'm sure there are a lot of Music Majors at Penn State who would jump at the opportunity to come and built the Tyrone Band program. Its about time that we tap that resource. Chris Laird was a product of that and did a great job with the resources that were given to him. The Bellefonte band director "Dave Cree" is actively involved with the PSUBB. How do you think Bellefonte has such a great band program. The same holds true for State College High School.

Anyway, its time to stop making excuses and taking the easy way out. TAHS band needs to be brought back to the way it used to be. Class 4 National Champs.

[submarinerswife]

One thing that might help out is to work the band schedule around sports. My daughter did tennis last year and is doing cross country this year while still participating in band. Band camp is scheduled 1 week prior to sports starting. Then practice is Tues and Thurs evening from 6-9pm. The band director is very understanding that many of his players participate in sports. He excuses you if you are at a game from practice. Works very well here. Many students who play an instrument also wants to participate in sports.

[banksy]

This one time, in band camp....

[tashcroft]

This one time, in band camp....

Banksy high stepped out onto the practice field wearing a black unitard and orange leg warmers.
His forehead glistened with sweat, a majorette's baton swung loosely between his fingers.

Someone pushed play on the boombox and Eye of the Tiger by Survivor thundered over the PA system.

What happened next was amazing.

Banksy proceeded to perform what turned out to be an absolutely stunning routine.

It started slowly with some basic eight finger rolls, built up speed with several quick toss turns
then as the excitement mounted, he did not one, not two, but three triple elbow rolls. What a finale!

As the song ended, the band members stared at each other in disbelief.

Then all of a sudden a roar erupted from the crowd as everyone stood at once and gave Banksy a well
deserved standing ovation.

What we witnessed that day was the birth of a truely spectacular twirling career.

Later that year, Banksy won the State Twirling championship and was runner up in Nationals.
The following year he dominated every competition he entered.
He held the National title for the next 5 years!

In the early 90's, he cofounded the United States Twirling Associaton to give back to the sport that had
given him so much.

That my friends, is the kind of talent that Tyrone's band program used to produce. Perhaps someday it will again.

[banksy]

Nobody could or can twirl like me?

[BeachBiker]

I remember that day, and was a witness to Banksy's performance.

I was on patrol, and recall seeing the whole thing. I grabbed the camera from the evidence kit in the cruiser.

Banksy posed for pictures when he was done. Here is the photo I took:



Tyrone's band has never been the same since that day.