ROY
LONGHORN BAND
At this point I'd like to search my memories of the different sections of our band, and some of the students who comprised them.. These various thoughts will undoubtedly be added to, and revised as things come back to me. If anyone notices any mistaken memories, especially concerning students, feel free to email me and say "Hey, that's not the way it was!" After all, these things happened over 33 years ago and I'm fast approaching senility. Let's start at the back of the room with the Dumbers, or as I recall my way of spelling it, Dummers. They worked very hard and did an excellent job.
We had no tympani of
our own, but we always needed to include the tympani part when we went
to contest. We solved the problem by taking our two old bass drums and
laying each one horizontally across two chairs. They didn't sound like
tympani...they sounded exactly like two old bass drums laying across
some chairs...and the chairs would vibrate and make additional noise.
However, the object was to 'practice' playing the tympani so that when
we went to contest our designated tympanist could make a smooth and
successful transition to the real thing. It worked. I remember taking an old, old student desk and drilling a bunch of holes in the top of it so that it became a holder for all our drumsticks and mallets. Of course I painted it real pretty and decorated it with a few music notes and the word, "Dummers". We took apart and repainted all our old drums so that they matched somewhat with maroon shells and white trim. We bought three new chrome concert snares for use with the 'hi-steppers'.
The cadence we created for marching season was a hybrid. The front part of it was lifted by Duke Stephenson (my high school band director) from the movie, 'The Young Lions'. I'm not sure when the second half came from...I believe it was just a catchy, syncopated beat that was popular during that time period. Anyway, we combined the two to create a longer cadence that wasn't as repetitive as either one had been by itself.
In most percussion sections everyone shares duties and fills in where needed. However, in my memory at least I seem to connect certain students with specific instruments......
Vickie Lee was an intelligent and talented student (she also played piano) who always rose to the occasion and mastered anything that had to be played, spending most of her time on the snare. She also had an outgoing personality.
Betsy Menapace, also very intelligent and gifted, spent most of her time on the snare, too. Betsy was personality plus, and she never let me get by with anything. She, Vickie and I had a lot of fun kidding around and engaging in verbal repartee.
Corrine Barbeau I remember as sweet and quiet, with incredibly long brown hair. I know she was also very intelligent and talented, but at this point I'm going to quit saying that about everyone. After all, I'm giving you my impressions as I remember them. Corrine played mainly snare and bass.
Laura Mackey I mentioned earlier. She usually played the crash cymbals.
Judy Martin played various things, but mainly bass drum. She was probably a little stronger than the other girls and could handle it better. Judy's dad was the football coach.
Sandra Wallace, Rosie Archuleta and Kenneth Gardner generally filled in where needed.
Sandra was a pretty blonde who will never let me forget that I once referred to the rock group Credence Clearwater Revival.......as.......Clarence Creekwater Revival. And I wasn't trying to be funny. Ha. Hey, wadda-I-know from rock music?
Rosie was another very sweet, very quiet student...which seemed in conflict with the fact that she was a cheerleader. She could be loud when necessary, but generally she wasn't.
I remember Kenneth as a real cut-up, but at the same time a super-nice and polite guy.
Eventually (don't hold your breath) I'd like to re-photograph pictures from my yearbooks, scan them, and add them to this website so that you can see some of these smiling mugs that I've been talking about. Someday!
I'll return to the band later. Time for a change of pace. My last year at Roy ('70-'71) we had a new English teacher...Charlie Hamilton. He was a young, first-year teacher from Albuquerque, a great guy, and the students loved him. The two of us spent a lot of time together, hiking the Canadian river canyon, etc. Charlie loved the people of Roy, but he was a big-city guy (Albuquerque?) and during that school year 'Roy' began to drive him crazy...he was dying of boredom.
One evening my phone rang...it was Charlie. He said "I just bought a bunch of art supplies at City Market...get your butt over here and teach me to paint so I'll have something to do." So began our evening painting sessions. We weren't very good, but we had a lot of fun, and a few drinks always made our paintings look much better. Ha.
Charlie also opened my eyes to a valuable lesson in the art of conversation and listening.
He was at my house one night (my 10 X 33 foot trailer) and I thought we both were having a good time, when he stood up and exclaimed "Damnit, Phillips! All you ever talk about is music.....I'm going home." And with that he stormed out the door and went home. From that day I've at least tried to find out what other people are interested in, asked them questions about those interests, and hoped that I haven't always steered the conversation in my direction. Charlie helped make me a better listener and a better person, and for that I thank him. Several people have asked me about him. All I know is that circa 1976 or 77 he was in San Antonio and was connected somehow with a hospital. It would be great if we could track him down for a reunion someday.
Perhaps our favorite pastime was to watch Julia Child's cooking show on television. As I said earlier, reception was bad in Roy. You could never plan to watch an entire program without it getting snowy and fading in and out.. Still, we loved Julia. Charlie would roll on the floor (literally) with laughter at the things she said and did....and she wasn't even trying to be funny. It's similar to my wife and I watching Jim and Tammy Faye Baker in their heyday.....we thought they were hilarious.
I once drove Charlie
to Albuquerque to pick up a car he had bought. It wasn't new...I don't
know the year...but it was a very classic-looking Thunderbird. It was a
sort-of gun metal blue, with a darker blue vinyl top. All the students
at school thought it was the coolist thing ever. The '67 T-bird in this
photo looks very similar...down to the door handles and the way the
back door opened. Changing the subject, I've often wondered about the flagpole that stood in front of the old high school. It had a sturdy concrete base containing a plaque stating that it had been donated to the school by one of the previous senior classes. Does anyone know which class that was? Also, was it torn down to make way for the new school, or was it salvaged, perhaps even left standing where it was. I'm curious....someone let me know.
jphil66@plateautel.net
I've also wondered whatever became of the band awards (trophies and plaques) which
were in the old
band hall. Does anyone know? It
seems that every place I've ever taught the oldest, most insignificant
sports trophies are cherished forever
and ever, while the band trophies often are lost, thrown out, and
simply relegated to oblivion. If I had it to do over again, I would
take them with me when I left for safekeeping. Bitch, bitch, bitch! It's a sad fact of life, tho.....not only old trophies, but entire music programs are tossed aside, while sports programs are held onto at all costs....something that academicians and band directors will never understand. I know I can't change the world, but I can certainly gripe about things of which I don't approve.
Speaking of things I don't approve of. My second year at Roy I was drafted to teach elementary music to the first four grades. I hated it! While I'll be the first to recognize the necessity of a good elementary music program in schools, I am definitely not the person to tackle that job. In the first place, I'm not qualified. I'm a band director, not a choir director, and not one who enjoys teaching little ones to sing the classics (like Go Tell Aunt Rhodie, the Old Gray Goose is Dead). Secondly, a good elementary music teacher should be proficient on the piano. I can't play the piano. I was armed with a record player and a set of Silver-Burdett recordings for children, but anyone with the same tools could have done the job much better than I.
I admire teachers who can connect with elementary kids. It takes a certain type person. Lots of elementary teachers will ask me how I can stand high-school students, but I could ask them the same question about their tiny-tots. Anyway, by the end of my second year (although I loved the high-school students) I had decided to leave. This fact is evident in the autograph pages of my 1970 yearbook and all its 'good-bye' messages from my students. However, during the summer things changed.
My elementary music obligations were dropped (and replaced with a high-school music appreciation class) and I was given a raise. Needless to say, I stayed another year.
On a related note, during my three year stay in Roy, I had three different school superintendents. That's a sad but common turnover rate for a small community like Roy. Young teachers would also come and go with regularity. I loved Roy, tho, and might have stayed indefinitely had it not been for the fact that at the end of my third year, twelve seniors graduated from my twenty-six piece band. Future prospects weren't good either.... the next year's projected first-grade enrollment was.......two students. Too bad, but it was time to move on.
But first, I have lots more to tell you about my three absolutely wonderful years in Roy, New Mexico.
To be continued.........
This
page is 'Baby Boomer' friendly, with LARGE TYPE throughout.
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