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| MEMORIES FROM DAYS GONE BY... |
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I remember cold Wednesday night rehearsals in
the stadium under William Stewart
when he was so hoarse he could hardly talk. And
I remember the lights in the hats.
He persuaded William D. Revelli to come and
conduct the band, after which
Revelli interviewed a few students, offered me a
scholarship and accepted me
into the Symphony band at Michigan. At the time,
I didn’t know there were
no women in the marching band at Michigan. I
then went on to earn a Bachelors of Music in
music education, met my husband and had six
children, one of whom also played
in the U of M marching band as did my husband,
while he was in Law School.
I am sorry that I do not have any pictures, only
memories. Like when the whole band
sailed to Milwaukee on the Milwaukee Clipper to
play in a music conference. And
I remember playing in War Bonds programs during
the war And playing in parades
that always ended in Hackley Park. I graduated
in January 1947 but stayed in
school for the next term so I could play in the
band and orchestra.
Sally
Bennett Roach
MHS Class of '47
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I played 1st and 2nd chair
trombone in the band and orchestra (that’s about all we
had at the time)
from September 1956 to May 1960. It was a great time
and experience that’s been with me all my life since.
I was sad to hear the cap lights are not used anymore.
In the winter of 1959, during a major game with big,
thick snowflakes falling, we formed a cathedral front,
turned on blue cap lights, turned off the field lights
and played Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor. I’m told
that the radio announcer was so struck by the sight and
sound he announced he was going to shut up and stuck the
microphone outside the booth so the radio audience could
hear the music. He apologized that he couldn’t broadcast
the sight. It was just one of those moments.
Dan Nickell
MHS Class of '60
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Symphony of Winds
University of Michigan, January 1968.
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Send along your memories from your
days in the band.
mail@mhsbigredband.org
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