TAHS Band Program

[DiggerFink]

I found some old newspaper clippings from Banksy's second trip to nationals.

Here's what some writers of the day had to say about his performance.


"...as if he were born with a baton in his hands" - New York Times


"...terrible in its beauty." - Pittsburgh Post Gazette


And my personal favorite from an LA Times headline simply read: Twirling Dervish

[DonkeyHoagie]

I was not in Tyrone during this time (there was a little matter of a restraining order enacted upon me by my fair Dulcinea) but, I do recall reading an article called, "Twirly Man" in Sports Illustrated.
Might this be the genesis?

[Tyrone Pride]

I am glad to hear that the band will have a new director. I know that they will have some building years too. I just hope that the Star Spangled Banner and the Alama Matter sound better than in previous years. I wouldn't even mind hearing the version of the S.S.B. that we played when I was in marching bad. The kids and the new director have my support. I wish him and his new venture well. I hope that the community will support them as well. I am still in favor of the idea of an alumni band. Maybe we could play the S.S.B. and the Alma matter at the homecomming game...LOL Relive a little history???

[My2Cents]

"Tyrone Pride," I agree, and wish the band success also. I just want to comment that your website is absolutely fantastic !!! I bet that took a long time and a lot of work. Thank You for sharing it with us. :thumb:

[Tyrone Pride]

I am glad you like it. Our Deputy Chief and his girlfriend are the webmasters of the site. All of the members contribute pictures when we can. Stop by and leave a comment on the site. John likes that.

[akindergartenmom]

Tyrone Pride I agree!! I am so glad that the band has a new director and I hope that within a few years he is able to build it up and make it great again! I also like the idea of an alumni band, but if we are gonna have the instruments play, then we have to have the colorguard as well!! I would love to come back and homecoming would be the perfect time to do it!!

[Harlow]

Have fun with the alumni band.

I haven't picked up a pair of drum sticks in over 20 years and won't embarass myself by doing it now.

[My2Cents]

Have fun with the alumni band.
I haven't picked up a pair of drum sticks in over 20 years and won't embarass myself by doing it now.

I won't say how long it's been since I've tooted my horn .

[BeachBiker]

...I haven't picked up a pair of drum sticks in over 20 years and won't embarass myself by doing it now.

As opposed to those of us who never really put them down:

Photo taken back home - only photo I have now of my first drums - circa mid-1960s:

http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i26/B ... odrums.jpg

Taken about 2 years ago (about 40 years later), here in Myrtle Beach:

http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i26/B ... tar2-1.jpg

http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i26/B ... amera4.jpg

[Tyrone Pride]

It is like riding a bike..You never forget. I still play my trumpet. I can still play most of the old stand songs, the Star Spanggled Banner, Tyrone Will Shine, The Alma matter and a few of our Field songs.(just parts of these..LOL). I picked my trumpet back up after college to help my father in law with playing Taps at the Memorial Day services in town and at the cemetery sites. I did it when I was in school..Gerry Roberts asked me to do it because I played the bugle at Scout camp. Well here I am. Almost 20 yrs later still doing it. LOL I enjoy doing it. The Veterans deserve it too. You guys could do the same thing I did..Just pick up what ever instrumet you played and practice every once and a while.

Yes we will need color guard too. Too bad the old uniforms were thrown away. I still remember what number mine was but I doubt it would fit me now..LOL

[BeachBiker]

It is like riding a bike..You never forget. I still play my trumpet. I can still play most of the old stand songs, the Star Spanggled Banner, Tyrone Will Shine, The Alma matter and a few of our Field songs.(just parts of these..LOL)...

I had the distinct and probably unmatched privilege of playing in the band programs of 4 different school districts: Tyrone, Portage, Altoona (the former Logan Jr High and Altoona High), and Bellwood. In a couple of cases, more than once with the same district - as we moved around the region often when my Dad worked in various stores or division assignments for A&P.

I still remember and can play the snare drum part of the cadence for every school - note for note, stroke for stroke.

Over the more than 22 years I spent in the military, I ran into several former classmates from about every school I'd attended (John Fleming from Tyrone, for example). In a few of those cases, they were former fellow band members.

Once, in California, I ran into a fellow drummer named Fred from Altoona High. He knew of a trumpet player at the same base who also had played at AAHS, 1 year behind us, and whose wife also played (clarinet) in the AAHS band 1 year behind him. We met one time at the base Recreation Center, with them using borrowed instruments and Fred and I using drumsets (bass drums with pedals and the snares) from the Rec Center instrument rooms in order to play several of our old songs - most notably "Barnum and Bailey's Favorites", AAHS's signature marching-band song.

If the Tyrone program ever deteriorates in the direction it was heading, will such things ever happen again to it's students of today and tomorrow?

[Speedo]

I am glad to hear that the band will have a new director. I know that they will have some building years too. I just hope that the Star Spangled Banner and the Alama Matter sound better than in previous years. I wouldn't even mind hearing the version of the S.S.B. that we played when I was in marching bad. The kids and the new director have my support. I wish him and his new venture well. I hope that the community will support them as well. I am still in favor of the idea of an alumni band. Maybe we could play the S.S.B. and the Alma matter at the homecomming game...LOL Relive a little history???

I'm so glad we finally have a band director. I've heard nothing but good things about this guy, and I'm so anxious to meet him.

I agree though. The Star Spangled Banner and the ALma Matter... well, honestly, were quite pathetic at times this past season. I've been practicing these pieces [at least the Star Spangled Banner] throughout the summer, and I hope other band members have too. The sooner we work on that and get it memorized [for the newbies] or rememorized [for returning members], the better it will sound. I wish the newbies would have some way at the end of the school year to get these pieces to work on in the summertime... I'm just really hoping returning members haven't lost the piece and have actually looked over it this summer.

Thank you all for the support though. I'm ready for a change for the better.

Christina

[Speedo]

Humm... Thinking about it, the new band director could choose a new piece of the Star Spangled Banner.... Oh well, I'll still work on it until I hear otherwise, hah. ^_^

Christina

[TAHS90graduate]

That is an excellent idea. The Gerald Roberts Marching Band Fund. I;m sure we could get Tyrone Band alumni from all over to make donations. We just need to make sure the money goes towards the right things. Any idea on who the new director is?

[Harlow]

There was no teacher who I respected more than Gerry Roberts. To start a Memorial Fund in his name would be nice, but let's see if first the kids are committed and second if the band director is committed.

Plus if this is something anyone is really intending to do, you might want to check with Georgia, Greg and Gwen to see if it is something they would support.