Band directors, batons and blimps
December 2007
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From Morris Friedman
Kaleen,
Do you remember Mr Sellers breaking & shredding his batons when he got mad? Care to venture a guess as to how many he went through during a school year?
Morris
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From: Rhonda Holcomb Eunice
Morris-
I remember he would throw his baton at the drummers once in a while. Can you recall when Timmy Murphy would hold his left little finger under his clarinet and how Mr. Sellers stood beside him one day and flicked his pinky every time Timmy would slide that finger back? Everyone was giggling and Timmy totally lost it after a while and was trying to play and not laugh, but finally just gave in to the hilarity of it all and let go? Denzel must have had a large budget for batons, or either they were very inexpensive way back then. Perhaps he purchased them by the case?
Rhonda
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From: Linda West Forbes
Hi all,
I think Mr. Sellers and Mr. Barr kept the baton company in business! Do y'all remember that every year at the spring concert someone usually put a playboy pinup in Mr. Barr's music? It was hilarious in such a serious situation, he'd turn the page and there was a pinup girl! But, being the professional that he was, he never missed a beat. But, those of us that could see what happened had a hard time concentrating.
On a different note......(no pun intended) Kaleen, I never hear a piccalo or Stars and Stripes Forever that I don't think of you.
Linda
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From: Rhonda Holcomb Eunice
Linda, Ain’t that the truth! I still think of Kaleen whenever I hear the Stars and Stripes! Bet ya didn’t think anyone remembered, did ya, Kaleen!?
Rhonda
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From Bill Pelfrey
OK here is my favorite Mr.. Barr non band member event. At practice for graduation, he was in charge of the boys and we sounded dreadful trying to sing that first morning. After a long lunch break and adult lubrication for us and Mr.. Barr he made a remark that we sounded beautiful. It is amazing what a good lunch break will do for boys singing.
Bill Pelfrey, Jr.
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From: Mark Warren
I sure remember the blimp hangers and the Christmas parties we played for on the base for the base children. The echo in those hangers was incredible.
-- Mark
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From: Morris
Kaleen,
I'm having a senior moment on playing the overture at Glynco. Please refresh my memory.
Morris
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From: Rhonda
For the life of me, I can’t remember that………what happened? Willing to share another great band moment???
Rhonda Eunice
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From: Bob Hall
I must have the same memory problems as Morris. Who could forget the blimp hangers? But I don't have any recall of playing with the band inside one. Was it the honors band, and not the full group?
Bob
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From: Charlie Hind
Bob, Kaleen, Morris, Mark,
I had even forgotten that there was an honors band! I must have been in it, but I don't remember where or when we played. I don't have any memory of playing at Glynco either. My memories of elementary school are much more clear...I wonder why?!? :o)
Charlie
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From: Rhonda Holcomb Eunice
Charlie-
I remember Honor Band, but don’t recall Glynco Blimp Hangars…….And I know you were in honor band!
Rhonda
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From: Jeannie J. Vaughan
Whew! I DO remember playing in that Blimp Hanger at Glynco! It was the entire band, not just the Honors. I forget what the occasion was but we were there. The sound bounced back at us from every direction. I can't imagine what we sounded like that day. I can remember Mr. Barr telling us to watch him carefully and try not to let the sound bother us. It was QUITE an experience.
I remember Honor Band too but only after "ya'll" reminded me.
Isn't it funny how our memories work. Charlie I don't know how you remember so much.
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From: Charlie Hind
Rhonda and others,
When did we practice for honors band? We must have played different music and had extra rehearsals. I'd really like to remember this stuff.
A few things I do remember about band:
1st period study hall in the band room with Lynn Johnson.
While campaigning for band officers, setting several of those library-style tables on top of each other so one of us could climb up and stick a campaign poster to the 20 ft. high ceiling.
During marching practice having to run from one end of the field to the other to do the show over again. One time one of the tuba players tripped at full speed and turned his instrument into something that looked like a car wreck. We practically needed the Jaws of Life to extract him from it. Mr. Barr was pissed! Was that Henning?
Mr. Barr stopping us, punching his fist into his palm, and screaming "BAD SOUND!"
After some particularly rambunctious and harsh playing of a difficult passage, Mr. Barr snidely remarking under his breath something about the clarinet players having splinters in their tongues.
...and I'll never forget the dreaded phrase "HIND, GIVE ME 25!" It was always sooo funny when it happened to someone else!
I was so proud to be a member of that band. I can't believe I jeopardized it so many times with all the stupid stunts some of us pulled...well, I won't get into that.
Mr. Barr was a great man. How many of us are listed in Wikipedia?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_M._Barr
Read it and be sure to follow the link to the Bob Barr Community Band website. Read the history of the Jordan High School Band and all the newspaper articles about them. The old pictures of Mr. Barr are fun to see.
Charlie
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