Music Activities in High School

 

Music Activities in High School

As mentioned in my Childhood Memoir Challenge article, music was a major activity of my High School career, both band and vocal music activities. Mom played the piano as well as sang all her life in various venues. So there was an influence there, for sure.

I believe this is Spring of Freshman year.

Starting in 8th grade with Mr. Bush, band director, I began playing the Baritone Horn (Euphonium) in concert and marching band, as well as small groups from time to time. Starting with Freshman year, I also played Solo performances for Contests, though I was most likely only mediocre… truth be told. Mom had me taking both piano lessons (from her and others) as well as vocal lessons early on in High School. I also did Solo Vocal performances for Contest, but again I was only a little better than mediocre as a Soloist. I was better in duets or small groups, as well as in choir performance.

At All State, our quartet was Wilson Thomas, Donna Grimm, Nancy Bolger and Bill Smith.
[I look at this picture of Nancy and just about melt away, by the way…so many memories!]

Probably my proudest musical accomplishment came from participating in All State Chorus, all four years of High School. And, this is where Nancy comes into the picture, literally as well as in participation. The full truth is that Nancy was probably one of a small handful of the most talented students, musically, in the four years we were in High School, regardless of grade level. However, she wanted to be known as a well-rounded student, musically and academically, not just a musician nor an accompanist. She was an accomplished pianist. She took lessons from Concert Pianist, Mr. Terchek, in Carroll, for several years. She almost certainly would have had some success in that direction if she had the interest. She wanted, however, to only do as much as she wanted to do, not get pulled into being THE pianist. There were others who could also do that. Donna was one of them. While Mom accompanied me the first couple of years, in that last couple of years, Nancy did. I was very grateful. I was better because of her. Nancy played Saxophone in Band.

Back to All State. In those years, we were chosen by quartet, and Mrs. Anderson, the vocal music instruction, usually sent three quartets to the TryOuts to compete. Everyone was surprised when our #3 quartet was chosen that first year. Nancy and I were Freshmen, Wilson and Donna were Sophomores. Donna was a good soprano, Nancy sang Alto very well, Wilson was Tenor and I sang Bass. None of us were great alone, but we were great together. Nancy and I ended up in quartets together all four years, with different Soprano and Tenor combinations. Andy Kretzinger, a very good tenor, good friend in our class, sang with us one year, but was also in quartets selected all four years, as well. Very unusual, but neat.

Marching Band and Concert Band were great experiences. However, I think I probably most liked participation in special events, such as Contests (usually in other towns) and County Band, or going to the Audubon County Fair, for example. Seeing different places, meeting different students, in different venues, was stimulating to me. It made a very naive young man into someone much more worldly. I still had a lot to learn, I just didn’t know it yet!

By the way, I did play my Baritone once in a special Marching Band appearance as a Freshman at Iowa State College. That was the end of my band experience. But, I still have that Baritone Horn, in the original case, over in our storage unit. It still works just fine.

P.S. We also played in the Roy Holliday Town Band in the Summer Time. We’ll save those stories for another time…

See you down the road… ;-)