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Frank Miles, Tattler Editor
frank@sinfoniantattler.com
Scott Erb, Tattler Staff
scott@sinfoniantattler.com
Phil Wilson, Tattler Staff
phil@sinfoniantattler.com
Tommy House, Tattler Webmaster
tommy@sinfoniantattler.com
Not Pictured:
Travis Bryant, Tattler Staff
travis@sinfoniantattler.com
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The Downbeat
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Frank Miles,
Tattler Editor
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As the moon turns into a football, you know that the
time has come for the annual opening of that crypt known as an instrument
case. Time to oil those frozen
valves, grease those lifeless slides and, well, do whatever it is you
woodwind players do (forgive my ignorance, for I did not choose the noble
path of the band director).
The Alma Mater requests your presence but once a year,
and it is your solemn duty to answer the call. Besides, coming home can be a lot of fun!
That’s right: Homecoming 2005 is upon us and this year
it’s bigger than ever. In case you
lost count, it’s the 40th anniversary of the Sound of the South,
and the Sinfonian Tattler will let you know when
and where you can see your brothers on November 5. We’ll also tell you what to look for on
campus that’s new, peek in on some Trojan alumni in Hotlanta
and speak to some of the Sound of the South’s original members.
Oh... did I mention our conversation with Dr. Johnny
Long? See you at Homecoming!
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Hello, Johnny Long
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Scott Erb &
Frank Miles, Tattler Staff
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 From
1965-1995, the Sound of the South marched countless drills, played
thousands of notes, changed uniforms a number of times, introduced
hundreds of husbands and wives, and graduated more band directors than
you can shake a baton at... all under the watchful and caring eye of one
legendary man.
“I never wanted to do anything else.”
Marching to the beat of his mother’s drum (a music
major in her own right), Dr. John M. Long took what he learned as a
musician in the U.S. Army and as a band director at Robert E. Lee High
School in Montgomery and headed to Troy to build a band. As he was riding in the car one day
with Rennie Mills, a member of the bandmaster’s
first Troy band, Dr. Long realized that
the band needed a moniker.
And the Sound of the South was born!
Of all the shows that Dr. Long developed for the
Sound, he doesn’t have a favorite.
“They all have been my favorite,” he said. “I wanted to try and relate the music
with the people. We played
everything from jazz to marching tunes. Some would argue that my first 15 years
were my best, while others would say the last 10. I would say that the marching in the
first ten years was immaculate. We
had more time back then to work on marching. Less was going on and we could keep the
band longer for practice.”
Not only was Dr. Long a stickler for proper marching
style and technique, but he also insisted that the Sound be innovative
and fresh.
“I made my drill into three phases,” said Dr. Long. “This way we can always change it
up. We can do all three phases, or
do one, two, or three in any pattern.
That way the show is always new, and can have new music placed
into the drill with ease.”
And even though Dr. Long loves classical music, it’s
not a genre he would recommend putting on the field. “Try to play big band jazz, country,
pop and a lot of old standard tunes,” he said. And, he says, be mindful of who you are
playing for. “Older folks didn’t
know the new tunes. People past 30
years of age were the ones that bought the seat, so they were the
audience.”
No matter what show the Sound performed, from year to
year there has always been one constant, one exclamation that has
announced “the Sound’s in town!”
The Fanfare.
“In 1965, (I suggested) the Troy
band needed a fanfare,” said Dr. Long.
“I wrote all the music back in the day. It caught on since the first time. The Fanfare is the trademark of the
band. I didn’t think it was when I
was here, but now being gone, I believe it is. It gets your attention.”
Not only is the Fanfare constant, but Dr. Long says
music in general hasn’t changed much.
“Good music hasn’t really changed.
Nothing more beautiful then hearing a good band playing The Stars and Stripes. Now-a-days, you don’t have as much time
to practice, even at 5 a.m. Main
thing that changes is time frame to practice.”
Another thing that has changed is the presence of Jacksonville State on the football
schedule. Though the Trojans no
longer face-off with the Gamecocks, Dr. Long believes it was a healthy
rivalry.
“The two football teams had already formed a rivalry,
so we added to the fire,” he said. “I would never mention the JSU band, but
JSU almost became obsessed with us.
Both bands seemed to work harder for that game. Good thing for both bands, competition.”
There is a lot to be said for competition and rivalry,
and like any family, the members of the Sound of the South have always
had their own little rivalries amongst themselves. But more than the desire to be better,
as individuals, was the desire to be one.
And from that desire for support and friendship and companionship,
Sound members learned what commitment means, and many of them have
discovered the highest form of commitment.
“Well, I have been invited to more (weddings) than I
can count,” Dr. Long said. “I
would like to say that over 500 people have met in my band over the years
and have been married. And they
stay married. Many couples like
James and Linda Smith, Ralph and Amanda Ford, Linwood and Linda Erb, Pete
and Susan Helms, Medley and Ann Curry – all have been members of my band
and haven’t gotten a divorce. As
Ralph and I always have said, ‘You better be nice to the people in band
with you; you never know when they will be your future wife or husband.”
Many honors have been bestowed upon Dr. Long,
including the dedications of Long and HAL halls, Phi Mu
Alpha’s Orpheus Award and Kappa Kappa Psi’s Distinguished Service Award. But he says one of the most memorable
moments of his career came when more than 500 of the Sound of the South’s
finest took the field to celebrate his retirement.
“I miss the students.
The fellowship of students.
Seeing the alumni helps make up for that.”
How many will he see for the Sound’s 40th
Anniversary?
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Memory Lane Special: The Original Sound
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Scott Erb,
Tattler Staff
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1965.
Many of us weren’t even a gleam in our father’s
eyes. But to the select few, the
proud, the “Original SOTS,” it was the time of their lives. I was able to run into a couple of old
codgers that actually were in the band in 1965. It wasn’t really hard to track down one
of them (thanks for the help, Dad!).
He and fellow IN alum Rennie Mills take
us back to the year it all started.
Linwood Erb
One of the most important memories from the past is making life long
friends that I met during my four years at Troy.
There is a group of us that still take trips together; the Currys, the Mills and the Helms. Most of us came to Troy with Dr. Long in 1965, while Pete
Helms was already there. I think
we had 85 in the band that first year, and even though it was small, it
had a big sound. The band has
improved and grown over the years but the ‘65 band was the foundation of
the “Sound of the South.” A lot of
tradition was started that year.
There have been a lot of marriages during the 40
years; I couldn’t tell you how many.
I met the greatest lady in the world in the band – my wife for 32
years, Linda. It was a great
thrill to have my son Scott and daughter Staci
march in the band under Dr. Long.
I have had a lot of my students go through the Troy
band with whom I’m very pleased; they were all fine young men and women.
I know that I had the best teacher and life-long
friend having the honor of being in the band under Dr. Long. The “moon turning to a football,” the
“chicken boxes,” let’s take “the hay to the barn” and “if you think you
are special put your finger in a bucket and when you pull it out if it
leaves a hole then you are special.”
One more thing: smelling diesel fuel today still reminds me of a
lot of memories. Being in the Troy band is one of the greatest moments of my
life.
Rennie Mills
40 years? No way. It seems like yesterday when about 40
people from Robert E. Lee followed John M. Long from Montgomery
to Troy, Alabama. That would make the
band about 33 percent people from Lee. Boy, how the others disliked
us. They thought that we thought we were superior to them.
Not at all. We just had the inside scoop on this madman and why he
was screaming at us. That soon went away and we became one.
Friendships made, marriages happening, children following, stories told,
laughing, sadness, drinking, traveling: what else? Friendships made
during that time will never be forgotten.
I have been fortunate in that being the Alumni Band president
four of the first five years (I wasn't paying attention at voting time
and got railroaded), I got an opportunity to know so many of the alumni
and this followed along when Jennie got there. I have become
somewhat of an "unofficial" historian of the SOTS and was even
in the car the night the band was named. I am extremely proud of
the band and what it has become and feel honored to be one of the
"original 100."
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Campus Crawl
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Travis Bryant, Tattler Staff
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 It's
a tradition with most alumni to crawl through campus over Homecoming
weekend. It's fun to relive the
glory days with new friends and family and to see what's new.
You are sure to notice two big changes as you troll
through Troy
this year.
The first is a Barnes & Noble going up next to
the Adams Student Center,
in what use to be a parking lot, which used to be tennis courts, which
used to be… etc. The
10,400-square-foot superstore will be designed like all of the company’s
stores. This building kicks off a
five-year deal between Troy
and Barnes & Noble.
Other campuses, such as Troy-Montgomery,
Troy-Dothan, etc. will all be home to B&N stores too. School administrators say the new store
will give students a new café to hangout in, a new reading area and
online access to purchase books and text books.
If you continue on around the loop, you’ll notice
another addition to Troy’s
campus tucked in between Wallace and McCartha
halls. This is the new General Academic Building. It’s 42,000 square feet of the latest
and greatest in high tech multipurpose classrooms.
Inside you’ll find four multipurpose theater-style
classrooms, 13 additional 60-student classrooms and faculty offices, all
of which are outfitted for wireless access. If you park the car, see if the
building’s doors are unlocked and visit the new atrium. It was dedicated on Oct. 20, 2005, to
the memory of Frances Daniel Branum, a Greenville native and 1993 Troy
graduate.
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Excuse Me Mister, Where are the Fairgrounds?
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Travis Bryant, Tattler Staff
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 In
case you haven’t heard, SOTS alumni have been invited to a
post-post-game-concert gathering at the fairgrounds in Troy on homecoming Saturday. Are you now thinking, “where the @#$%^!
are the fairgrounds?”
Well
think no more! The Tattler staff
is here to set the record straight!
After
all, it's sure to be fun and the Tattler staffers plan to swing by and
down a few with some old friends on our way to BrasherFest
2005.
- So first, click the
map above. (It will take you to the larger one on the site)
- Second, print it
out. We'll see you there!
- Third, look for active brothers at
the Fairgrounds gathering.
- Fourth, get a map from them to BrasherFest 2005.
- Fifth, buy some beer
and practice your harmony.
Your bros will be looking for you at Brasherfest 2005.
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Start Your Voices
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Phil Wilson, Tattler Staff
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Iota Nu has had a
long-standing tradition of talented vocalists who participated in choral
activities at Troy. As you flip through Iota Nu’s legendary scrapbook, you will see proof of the
many faces that contributed their voice to make the choral department
successful. In the latter years of
my tenure at Troy,
Phi Mu Alpha took on the task of assisting the
vocal department in concerts and other events. This weekend, we have an opportunity to
continue the tradition of excellence at ole Troy by participating in the planned
choral homecoming activities.
As we are all well aware, our beloved Dr. William R.
Dennison passed the position of Director of Choral Activities to Dr.
Terre Johnson in 1999 and then to the current director Mr. Paul McGahie in 2001.
Dr. Johnson and Mr. McGahie were both
initiated as honorary members into Iota Nu. Both men have been supporters of Phi Mu Alpha and continue to demonstrate the love of
music that attracted us to the fraternity in the first place.
McGahie says the choral department
has expanded into five ensembles.
These ensembles include the Collegiate Singers (an auditioned
group composed of music majors as well as non-music majors), Chamber
Choir (an auditioned group of singers in a chamber setting), Dazzlers!
Show Choir, Women’s Madrigals and Gospel Singers. Each group concentrates on a particular
genre and style of music while expanding the students’ thoughts about
unfamiliar styles of music.
McGahie is excited about
this weekend’s festivities and invites choral alumni to join him and
other alumni in the chorus at 1 p.m. for an informal lunch. This will provide an opportunity to
meet other alumni as well as current singers. The schedule continues at 1:30 p.m.
with a rehearsal of the new Alma Mater to be followed by a walk to the
stadium where the chorus will join the Sound of the South in singing the
Alma Mater as part of the pre-game show.
McGahie says alumni can help
the vocal department at Troy
in a variety of ways.
“Alumni can join our new Choral Alumni Association,"
McGahie said. "This year (the)
association gave a scholarship of $1,000 to a junior vocal music
education student. Part of the
alumni dues automatically goes into this annual scholarship.” Annual membership in the association is
just $25. Members of the band
alumni association only need to pay $15 per year.
"Another way of helping is to encourage talented
high school students to come to Troy,"
McGahie said.
"Alumni can visit schools in their town/area and make a brief
presentation on all the values of attending Troy, majoring in vocal music and
singing in our choral program. I
am working on creating a CD and a DVD that I can give to alumni to show
at their local school.”
So... what are you waiting for? Start warming up your voice and I will
see you in Troy
on the 50-yard-line.
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Say Cheese!
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Travis Bryant , Tattler Staff
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 All
right guys - we’re deputizing all of you as Tattler staffers for
Homecoming weekend.
You’re all on the payroll as freelance photographers. That’s right! We’ll pay you double our illustrious
editor Frank’s salary for every photo you send us! I’ll have to get someone to do the math
on that one…
We want to post pics from
this year and the next and the next, until that legacy son of yours is
posting his HC pics to the Sinfonian
Space Tattler 2020. So snap away
and send them our way. There are
plenty of your pledge class bros that can’t make it this year and want to
see you, your family, the stadium, etc.
Once you’ve compiled your award-winning album, you can
upload your photos to the Sinfonian Tattler at:
http://sinfoniantattler.com/upload/upload.php.
Make sure you include any names and other relevant
information to the photos and we’ll be sure to credit you. So send us anything and everything that
doesn’t contain Beefy’s naked butt!
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Q & A: Paul McNeeley
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Frank Miles, Tattler Editor
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 TAT: First of all, where are you and
what are you doing?
Paul: I live in Troy
once again and work at Fort
Rucker. After my eight years with the
University, I now work for the Army National Guard Bureau’s Multi Media
Branch. I am a full-time Army
Technician working as a video production specialist – which is I shoot
and edit video for training and information packages sent to National
Guard units in all 54 states and provinces. I have the opportunity often to fly in
combat helicopters shooting video – way cool! I am also proud to serve as the “Mouth
of the South.” Announcing for the Troy band programs keeps me close to the music programs
I have loved for 30 years.
TAT: When were you initiated into Phi
Mu Alpha and what was your motivation?
Paul: I became a brother in 1978
– way before most of you were thought of (I was the FEO when Jim Brasher
was a pledge!). My course of study
at that time was vocal music education, and playing in the band. I became friends with quite a few of the
brothers (names like John Cordell, Randal Myers, Don Freeman, Bruce Ubbins, Taco, OB,
Bone, Pete Heinz, Charlie Rodgers, and MANY others) and was impressed
with the quality of musicianship. The
fact that the brothers had a knockout chorus was also a large magnet.
TAT: How has the fraternity changed
in your years as a Sinfonian?
Paul: The fraternity has evolved
in so many ways – some great, most good, and a couple I would wish
different. The level of
musicianship is quite outstanding. There are some very good, serious
musicians in the organization now. I suppose my concern would be that the
fraternity must be careful in its recruiting. Having “numbers” is great; recruiting
true Sinfonians – in all aspects of the word –
takes work. I sometimes see the
commitment level become “liquid,” and that makes me a bit queasy.
TAT: The national fraternity is
focusing a great deal of effort and resources to re-establishing contact
with alumni. Do you have any
suggestions on improving alumni relations at the local level?
Paul: My only input in that
regard would be this: Don’t call on the alumni ONLY for money or to fill
out the ritual chorus. Seek them
out, keep them informed, and invite their participation regularly. E-mail is such a great tool now for
keeping contact with groups. The
Tattler is a perfect example. Alumni
who don’t feel dunned or “selectively needed” will tend to be around
whenever schedules allow. People
are busy. They will be stingy with
giving of their time unless they feel the cause is good for them as well as the organization.
TAT: Some of our readers aren’t much
in tune with Iota Nu these days. Do you get to spend time with the
chapter guys, and, if so, what is your impression of the chapter?
Paul: I don’t spend as much time
now as I did several years ago, mostly because I don’t hear from them as
often. That said – the chapter
seems to be doing well. Most of
the brothers I have had any dealing with seem to have their Sinfonian hearts in the right place and a desire to
continually become bigger, better, faster. Plus, they all seem to have great shoes.
Sorry – inside joke!
TAT: Would you be in favor of an
alumni association in Province 34?
Why or why not?
Paul: Hmmm…. Man…. That’s really,
really tough. I would be in
favor of an alumni association, but I would be concerned for how much
time I personally could be involved. Because I travel a good amount – and
because I recently married again! – my fear would be the inability for me
to commit to any type of outside association. I do not like to tell someone I’ll do
something and then not follow through. How many other working stiffs would be
in the same boat? That’s hard to
know. I feel an alumni association
could be a great thing – IF it were viable, had a clearly defined purpose
and was well-run. People are so
far-flung geographically; it can be difficult to get folks to drive any
real distance if the motivation isn’t great. Yes, Sinfonia
IS great motivation, but realistic expectations must be considered. Perhaps larger population areas would
fare quite well.
TAT: Who is the last Iota Nu Sinfonian you spoke with
and what is he doing these days?
Paul: I am fortunate to see some
Iota Nu-ians on a fairly regular basis. The last one I spoke with was Charles
Rawls – we email fairly regularly. He is a realtor in the Atlanta area and he and his wife Celena are doing quite well. Talk about a committed lover of the Alma
Mater! He went to an Auburn game
in Auburn, left there to drive to Troy to see the
band, and drove home in the same night – talk about “helping move a
piano!” (Sorry, another inside joke!)
TAT: What is the state of music
education in your neck of the woods?
What could Sinfonians do help?
Paul: Not being in the education
field, what little I see seems to be a reflection of what I hear from so
many others. Music education is
pushed to the back burner when funding becomes an issue. Recently, a Georgia
high school band was to come to Troy to
play for the Troy
game. When the gas prices went
through the roof, the band director was “nudged” to make the decision to
cancel. The ugly part of us would
ask, “Did the school’s football team have to cancel a game?” The best course I might see for Sinfonians
is to strive to show musicianship in every venue possible. Perhaps a chapter putting on a show at a
local school – the highest quality and very professional – would stir
interest among the young people to be a part of their music program. I know getting in the schools can be
difficult, but has a committed, genuine attempt been made? I can remember (vaguely) seeing band or
chorus shows in elementary school and wanting to be a part of that
activity. Luckily for me, music
was a large part of the school curriculum in those years.
TAT: I know it was better “when I was
in the band,” but just how good is the Sound of the South this year?
Paul: The Sound of the South continues to get bigger, better, faster
every year. This year, the band
has an excitement level that makes even Mr. Ford excited. It would seem that being around the band
year after year would cause the staff an amount of complacency – not
true! The band is the band. The students make it great. And that
commitment and excitement are what keep old folks like all of us around
for many years.
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Organizing
the Re-Organizing of an Organization
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Travis Bryant,
Tattler Staff
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As you cruise through the "tailgater's tent
city" at Homecoming this year, stop by the Atlanta/Birmingham tent and
say 'hey' to Brother Scott Erb (IN '96).
He'll be the big tall guy with the big smile that's making things
happen over in Hotlanta! Erb has put some of his Iota Nu organization and management skills to work for Atlanta's fellow
Trojans.
"The Greater Atlanta Alumni Chapter of Troy
University is around ten years old," said Erb. "I just moved to Atlanta in 2004 and was elected
president this past March, so we're just now starting to re-organize and
get things going."
And things are going. Since taking the reins, Erb has helped
connect some 1,600 Troy alumni and get
meetings going. Like other
organizations, not all are active, but they all do know about the alumni
group and its meetings. And that's
no small task.
"So far the biggest hassle is setting event
times," said Erb. "Atlanta is a busy
and big city. It's hard for  everyone
to be flexible. We try to make
things easy for everyone, but that's hard to do."
With a slate of three officers and a board of
directors, seating 15, the alumni group is planning big things for its
members and their Alma Mater.
"We go to Braves games and tailgate at Troy games," Erb said. "Everyone likes to get together
and hang-out. Networking with
people in your field is a plus, too.
And like most people, they like to party. We try to have our events where there
is an open atmosphere of fellowship.
We try to have only one business meeting a year, so the rest of
the time we can have some fun. We
also get to help the school we love;
we are Trojans one and all!"
Erb says it's that battle cry that helps the
group look for ways of helping the school.
"We're having a Christmas party/ bowling
fundraiser," he said.
"We are only doing one fundraiser a year. This extra money will help us reach new
people and help us start collecting money for a scholarship we want to
start. We really want to build our
numbers and provide a level of service to the school that is top
notch."
Erb says that the benefits of organizing an
alumni association far outweigh the work involved. Especially if you start with a good
plan.
"Make sure you got a good group to start it
with," said Erb. "A good
membership list is definitely worth it, but it is hard work. Talk with Faith Ward. She is the Director for Alumni and
Advancement (at Troy
University). She will be the one to help you through
your journey. She is awesome.”
But all you really need is people who truly love Troy, Erb
says. So if you have Trojan pride,
join a chapter. If there isn't a
chapter, start one!
If you'd like more information on the Atlanta Alumni
Chapter (or just want to send Erb harassing e-mails), click on over to http://spectrum.troy.edu/~atlanta.
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Hollywood Star
Highlights Sinfonia
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Travis Bryant,
Tattler Staff
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 It
was all over the news in North
Carolina.
For two days, video of Andy Griffith walking the campus at the
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and giving interviews flooded
the airwaves. If you caught any of
the coverage, in the paper or on TV, you saw that glimmer of gold on his
chest. Griffith wore his pin throughout the
visit.
Griffith
was on hand to dedicate the school's renovated Memorial Hall and to
donate truckloads of his belongings, all of which will be housed in a
Southern Heritage Collection on campus.
Griffith
is an alumnus of the Alpha Rho chapter. Besides sporting his pin, Griffith was quoted
numerous times about his involvement in Sinfonia.
Here's a link to the slide show that WRAL put
together after a newscast. Slide
Six (pasted here) shows Griffith's
pin the best:
http://www.wral.com/slideshow/4956104/detail.html
So the next time you hear a brother say,
"Yeah, I was a member of Phi Mu Alpha once
- back in college," you recount this little tid-bit
for him, so we all can see how it's supposed to be.
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Travis Bryant , Tattler Staff
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Welcome to da’dump! Each month Tattler
staffers scour the web and lurk in dark corners to find cool and fun
stuff. From here you’ll get a glimpse into what is going on and who is
doing it. And anything and everything is fair game. So if you know of
something cool and neat that folks should check out send it to us and
we’ll see if it fits the program! Email Travis
Bryant with your cool link.
Welcome to our Super Duper, Razz-Ma-Tazz, Rump Shaking, Blowout Special, "all things
Troy"
November edition of the Link Dump.
First off, since it is Homecoming we want to
encourage all of you to check out the SOTS forum! Sign up and chat; or don’t sign up and
just lurk. But whatever you do, go here and check it out! There's even a Phi Mu
Alpha forum where you can chat and catch up with old and new bros.
http://www.soundofthesouth.org/forum/default.asp
And to help get you in that game mode, check out
these pics from games last month.
They were taken by SOTS members for SOTS members
young and old.
But don’t hang out too long, or someone’s gonna wanna see your green
book!
http://www.soundofthesouth.org/photo_gallery/photos_sept/sept2005.htm
Lastly we want to make sure you gear up right!
So mark time 3, glide 5, hang a right at the hash,
look out for that lost baton flying at your head and click here…
http://www.screentechstore.com/xcart/home.php
This is the new Troy
gear (yes, without the ‘State’).
And buddy, they have it all. The new marketing campaign on campus
seems to be “if it holds still for five minutes, slap a logo on it.” So when you visit campus, | | |
