Charles
Gorby: “First stage band festival was
money well spent” NOTES
DA CAPO – by John L. Puffenbarger, WVMEA Historian Spring/Summer
2008 In
1959, after talking with several college, high school, and junior
high school band directors in Five
area high school band directors had started stage bands in their schools and were interested in promoting a stage band festival. They also
expressed need for a clinic since the concept of stage bands was new, and the directors were inexperienced with stage band repertoire. William Caruth, chairman of the Music Department at Concord State College, had organized a group that was known as the "Commanders."
Mr. Caruth was an outstanding dance musician as well as an orchestra director. He said that he would bring his band as a clinic group and that faculty members from the music department would serve as clinicians. After much discussion, the Stage
Band Festival was scheduled for Saturday, January 10, 1959. January was selected because Christmas programs would be over, and the date would not interfere with spring festivals or concerts. A bulletin announcing the festival was mailed to band directors in Gorbys Music Store no later than Monday of
the week of the festival. Gorbys store had an auditorium, but it was not large enough to handle the bands plus the spectators. The Social Room of the The festival began at 9:30 with doughnuts and coffee available. At 10:00, the "Commanders" played three standard numbers for the visiting bands and spectators. Mr. Caruth then discussed phrasing, interpretation, seating, and use of stage band selections. Kenneth Gleason of After
lunch, the afternoon was
devoted to auditions. The bands appeared in the order in which their
registration forms were received. There was no cost or charge to any of the bands.
Each band played three selections. Adjudicators
were Dr. Earl Houts, head of the Music Department at West Virginia Institute of Technology and Mr. Lewis and Mr. Gleason. Bands were
rated as The bands and their directors, in the order
that they auditioned, were George Wythe "Maroons," Wytheville, Virginia, Jack White, director; "Pearisburg Hi-Hatters," Pearisburg, Virginia, Richard Beasley, director; South Charleston Junior High Stage Band, John Jarvis, director;
"The Jestures," St. Albans, WV, Alan Farley, director; Lincoln Junior High Stage Band, Charleston, WV, Nelson Gael, director; "The
Swingsters," Gauley Bridge, WV, James Warren, director: Kyger
Creek Stage Band, Cheshire, Ohio, William Everson, director; "The Starlighters," Belle, WV, Lawrence S. Carson, director; "Night
Lighters," South Charleston, WV, Richard Katholi and Bill Dale, co-directors; "Tiger Tones," Princeton,
WV, John W. Lilly, director; "Mello-Bridge Swingsters," Meadow Bridge, WV, Robert Hamer, director. Approximately 300 persons attended in addition to the band members. The overall cost to Gorbys for
providing lunch, advertising, hall rental, transportation of the piano, and miscellaneous expense was $150.00. Charlie Gorby
commented later that it was worth the time and effort, saying, "I
feel that the stage band program has a definite place in the public school curriculum. It gives additional training for the outstanding musician who wants to be a better performer.
It provides dance band experience for those students wanting to pursue this effort in college and later life." (For further information about the development of stage
band
festivals in West Virginia, see the February 1998 "Notes da Capo" article, "Gorbys Holds First Stage Band Festival"
on
the WVMEA Web page.) |