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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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Travis Bryant, Tattler Staff
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This
is it bros! You're reading our 12th
consecutive issue of the Sinfonian Tattler. That makes a year and the conclusion to
Volume One! And yes, the rumors are
true that if you dig deep enough in the Scriptorium you can find some
artifacts going back even farther.
Those historic scraps date back to when we were just scrambling
trying to fan the flames.
At
first, our main purpose was to have fun.
If it wasn't fun for us or readers, we'd quit. That has now morphed into actually trying
to provide useful info about your bros and the fraternity as a whole. And, of course, to still have fun with
it. Same passion, just a little more
focused. That's the power of Sinfonian brotherhood.
And
now we're all here, trying to turn out a product-a service-that we can all
be proud of. I'm proud of this staff
for doing the hard work. But most of
all I am proud of our readers for not forgetting their oaths and still
caring about what happens to their brothers and their fraternity. It's that spirit of brotherhood that
keeps you coming back to read and what motivates all the contributors to
our little rag. It's about being
active, about caring about our communities, our fraternity and music. That's why you're here. That's why we're here. And you better believe, this is still
fun!
So
I raise my glass to all you who claim the same letters I do. We're excited about the year ahead and
what it holds for us all. Keep the
e-mails coming.
Your brothers want to know how things are in your corner of the
world.
All
Hail, Travis
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Traveling What??
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Phil Wilson, Tattler Staff
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For many years, Iota Nu has
been blessed with the vocal talent to produce a large chorus for ritual
ceremonies and many other events.
As a matter of fact, this vocal talent is what encouraged many
members to become interested in who we are and what we believe. I know it was the first thing that
attracted me. But for many other
chapters in this province, these vocal abilities were not, and still are
not, adequate enough to support entire, meaningful rituals. This concerned a few brothers at the
2005 Conclave including John Mitcham who, along
with other attendees, began to develop a solution: a traveling ritual
chorus.
The idea of the traveling chorus for rituals serves a
two-fold purpose in that it services both alumni and collegiate
members. “It gives alumni a chance
to get together at a pre-determined place and time and do something that
bridges the generation gap between brothers,” John said. “It gives collegiate chapters a much
needed boost in overall sound at a ritual by the addition of alumni
brothers.
“The alumni ritual chorus could operate much like any
other alumni group with the notable exception that the pinnacle of the
night’s activities would be active participation in a collegiate
ritual. For example, if the Pi
Sigma Chapter at Samford University was having
a ritual on a Friday night, members of the group who wanted to go could
meet up at an eatery in Birmingham and enjoy one another’s company before
heading over to the ritual setup.
After performing in the chorus (or other roles in the ritual, if
need be), the group could then adjourn to a local joint for ‘milk and cookies’
or whatever suites them. The idea
is to provide an alumni event that benefits collegiates
as well as help keep the flame of Sinfonia
burning in the hearts of those who have left an educational institution.”
Bro. Mitcham suggests that
membership in this group be voluntary, allowing alumni to attend when
possible. Because most alumni are
infused into their profession, business meetings and dues are not
necessary as they add even more demands on an already demanding schedule.
“In this type of atmosphere, alumni can feel free to
attend when they please, for any attendance is a benefit for both the
group and the chapter they are assisting on any particular night,” said
John. Membership should be open to
alumni brothers from any chapter in a given area, and should be based in
a geographical region. For
example, if such a group flourished in Montgomery,
then they would be right next to Alabama
State, within an hour from Auburn and Troy, and
within an hour and a half from Alabama
and Samford.
With this many brothers available, there should be no reason for
chapters to lack in their ritual experiences.
The question of who would be in charge of organizing
this ensemble fell upon the group at Conclave, and the suggestion of the
Collegiate Province Representative or the Assistant Collegiate Province
Representative, along with the Province Alumni Coordinator was
formed. Since each aforementioned
officer stays in contact with each chapter, it seems reasonable to ask them
to help establish and maintain this ensemble.
“I truly believe that this program could develop
within our province and eventually become a nation-wide movement that
helps alumni reconnect with the active collegiate brothers in the one
common bond that unites all Sinfonians,” said
John. “All it takes is a small
sacrifice and a few very interested individuals that possess the drive to
see it through to fruition, and it can become accomplished.
“I do not see this as a program that could develop in
the years to come, but now, this spring, or even this semester. There are rituals coming up in October
and November. Let us find out
about them and place them on our calendars now. When events like this roll around, it
is time to dust off the ritual books, prepare the food and drink, and
establish some sort of excuse for our families that requires us to go
back and hang out with our old college fraternity buddies.”
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Travel Trophies
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Scott Erb, Tattler Staff
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Ah, can you feel the excitement in the air? Hear the crack of football pads? The squeak of a freshman clarinet
player? That’s right; the sounds
of fall are upon us, and that means back to school! Everyone’s back to the grindstone and fraternities
are in full swing. Time to hang
out with your bros and do spontaneous stuff… like…
ROAD TRIP!!!
Road trips, the time honored tradition of packing six
brothers in a four-man car and unnecessarily traveling to some location
that isn’t worth the time loss. Or
is it?
While road trips are usually a pointless exercise that
each man must embark on before leaving his alma mater, the memories
shared on that trip usually last a lifetime. If you look back a couple of issues to
the Memory Lane
with John Mitcham, you will see him referring
to the OOO road trip. While it was
pointless and tiring (got back at 4 a.m.), it is one of the cherished
memories that I keep with me from Iota Nu and
my days at Troy.
 Now
Province 34 has come up a way to award those who make such fraternal trips.
The Patrenos,
as it is called, was established to promote interaction among chapters in
Province 34.
The award was started in 2003 to bring chapters
together. As one of three
fraternity members who undertook a pilgrimage from Boston
to establish chapters of Sinfonia in Philadelphia, New York,
and Washington,
Ralph Howard Pendleton understood that in order for Sinfonia
to flourish it had to grow. This
mission to experience fraternity in its largest sense is vital to the
collegiate experience and the survival of our order.
Brothers earn points for their chapter by traveling to the chapter/colony
that is in possession of The Patrenos and claiming
the trophy. One point is earned
for each day the chapter has the trophy in their possession. Also, there are now numerous other ways
to earn points. The chapter
earning the most points during the calendar year will receive a plaque.
So get your car full of gas (you will need six people to
afford a tank these days), set your destination, make up cool secret
names and road trip. Fellow alumni
brothers, road tripping doesn’t have to be left up to the amateurs in
college. It would be great if a
group of alums could meet up and road trip somewhere. Hey, how about road tripping to the
next initiation! The actives would
be more than thrilled to see you guys there. They might even buy you a beer, but don’t
count your chickens!
Let’s hope Iota Nu can win
the Cup. Right now Jax St.
has the cup. Let’s go get it boys!
For more info on the Patrenos,
including points, click here: http://www.mysticcat.org/%7Eprovince34/Patrenos.html
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Q & A: Bobby
Black
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Phil Wilson, Tattler Staff
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When vacation time
comes, it is always nice to have a friend in a big city to show you the
ropes and point out the highlights of that city. This month, we travel to
Las Vegas
where our connection is Bobby Black.
Plan your trip to the desert carefully, though, as Bobby may be
half-way around the world entertaining cruise ship passengers with his
voice that can only be described as “da
bomb!” Greet Brother Black.
 Tattler: What year
were you initiated into Phi Mu Alpha?
Bobby:
1993, my freshman year at Troy.
Tattler:
What appealed to you about Phi Mu Alpha?
Bobby: Music!!! I went to the meeting in
the band room where all the clubs get together to introduce themselves to
the freshmen and I was amazed at the brothers singing together with great
harmony, and I was hooked.
Tattler: I know that at one time you were a
performer on a cruise ship. How did you come about this?
Bobby: I am still a performer on cruise ships,
and actually I have been in a couple positions while on board. I have had the opportunity to be the
lead male vocalist for the ship’s cast, which consisted of 17
professional singers and dancers, and most recently, I have become a full
time guest entertainer. I endeavored to be a part of cruise ship
life by auditioning for a casting agency hired by the cruise line. To be considered for any of their
positions available they requested that I produce a video showcasing my
vocal and dancing abilities (ha ha ha).
Nonetheless, they deemed my skills acceptable and put me through
an intensive training with my entire cast, in which we learned four
different shows that we would perform once on board. While on board I was introduced to the
opportunities that were available to me.
One major position that intrigued me was the one of Guest
Entertainer. The guest entertainers
were able to showcase their talents in a headlining solo show. This gave me the opportunity to develop
my own show, which enabled me to portray different emotions that were my
own. This was a respectable position which included definite perks,
such as guest privileges, a hefty financial increase, but most of all,
it’s MY show! Through my shows, I have met and formed
lasting, beneficial relationships with countless entertainers. I showcase my vocal talents two to four
times a week for an audience of up to 2,000. Singing is my passion, entertaining is
my life! You better believe my
line of work is musical and it will stay that way indefinitely.
Tattler:
What other types of musical things do you participate in
outside of work?
Bobby: Being that I am bound by contract, most of
my time is spent specifically working on my own show. I have however been able to showcase
current cast members who are striving to enhance their abilities and get
their own shows set up. I
highlight their skills throughout my show, enabling them with the
experience that they would need to be a good guest entertainer.
Tattler: How
do you see the state of music education in our country today?
Bobby: I see the suffering. Suffering through funding, in the
curriculum and how the focus has been completely redirected away from
music. Our country has forgotten
the statistics, which have proven that children with musical skills, may
it be instrumental or vocal, are more inclined to have good grades and
succeed. It’s a shame that it is
such that when funding gets tight, music and the arts are the first
programs to be cut. I know right now in Las Vegas there is a shortage of
teachers. This forced the local
school board to hire over 300 substitutes as full time teachers that
have not attained their teaching certificate. I know that if they can’t find regular
teachers and they need to save money the first things to go will be all
the music and drama programs.
Tattler: What advice do you have to help us
conquer these foes?
Bobby: We must be strong advocates for our
passions. I believe if we are to
conquer any of these foes which we speak of, we must first role model
what we believe in. This can be
accomplished by volunteering time to introduce young children to the
concept of music, by sponsoring a child who wants to go to band camp, or
by buying their first
instrument. These are all great places to
start! It only takes one song; may
it be sung, played, or just listened to, it only takes one song to
capture an audience. I believe in
the popular saying “To teach is to touch lives,” and if I can touch one
life by the means of music then I will have done a part in keeping
musical education in schools alive.
I will have opened the door for one person who in turn could open
many doors; doors that will explore the world of music, in turn creating
more advocates for the fight to keep music alive.
Tattler: Any other things you want the
readers to know?
Bobby:
Ships have definitely been fun and I would recommend the
experience to anyone. As I finish
my last contract on board, there are many different plans for the
future. I now have a partnership
for a business in photography. My
plan is to finish cruise ships after this contract ends (which it ends on
the 25th of September) and go home to Las Vegas where I have a photography
studio called Liquid Lights Studios.
In the studio we do all sorts of entertainment photos such as
headshots, zed/comp cards, portfolio shots, and any other shot
needed. We also do other stuff like weddings but only for friends
and friends of friends. I will continue singing and doing my show
somewhere, but I am tired of traveling. I have been very blessed to
see 90 percent of the world in the past six years, but it’s time for me
to take the next step in my life. I am in contract negotiations
with a casino right now to start "The Tenors of Las Vegas"
show this October. Can’t say what casino, but it is a “Golden
Nugget” of a chance. Of course
life is not entirely about work and with finding stability on land,
marriage and children are hopefully soon to follow! My music and my show have become my
number one priority, but if I want to get married and have children then
I have to slow down at some point or find someone who is into the same
thing and we all know how easy that is.
I do have a huge desire for that so maybe I can sit back and just
let it happen. I’ve never been
good at that. Also, I do have two
Web sites. My personal site is very easy to remember: http://www.bobbyblack.com/. And the photography Web site is http://www.liquidlightphotos.com
where you can see my photos as well as my business partners’ photos.
Tattler:
Any long lost brothers you wish to shout-out to?
Bobby: Well, no one’s really lost ‘cause I keep
in touch with quite a few of the guys from old Troy like Bradley Graham,
Jeremy Horne, Bert Pitts, Tony Pearson, Mark VanLandingham,
Tommy House (who does my Web site... great job if anyone needs it
done. He is a brother in business
and we should support him). I also
hear that Chuck Maguire has moved to Las Vegas. I hope he gets this and e-mails me so
we can be in touch while he is in Vegas. I love getting phone calls
and e-mails so please feel free to call or write anytime. My house
is always open for any of you who come to party in my amazing city.
I think we should have an Iota Nu Vegas
trip. And of course to all the
guys responsible for the Tattler, Great Job, it is a success! I was excited to hear we finally had a
way of keeping each other updated and of course staying in touch! It is great to read all of your
articles and interviews, please keep it going,
and thanks for all of your hard work and interest in PHI MU ALPHA!
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Puttin' the
Hay in the Birmingham
Barn
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Travis Bryant,
Tattler Staff
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 If you saw the Sound of the South in the
late 90's, then you saw Chad Fisher.
He stood front and center during many half-time shows,
showing crowds what the trombone can do. And for the past four years he's been capturing
the ears of folks in north Alabama.
True, he was never initiated into Phi Mu Alpha,
but his love of music is raising awareness and appreciation of just what Alabama musicians
have to offer the world.
"I've loved writing and playing music ever since I first figured out
how to
play a few notes on the trombone," said Fisher. "I'd have to say it's that love that
has taken me this far. I didn't
really make a conscious decision to be a career musician until I moved to
Birmingham
and really started to work. I've met a lot of really great and talented
guys up here and we keep each other going."
And it is a talented group of guys that Fisher has surrounded himself
with to form the Chad Fisher Group. The CFG's
debut CD (and a new one forthcoming) is exactly what those who have known
Chad since 1995 have
wanted to hear: Chad
writing jazz and making music his way.
 "Making
the first album was a great experience for me," said Fisher. "I had been wanting
to make that record since I was in Troy.
In fact, I know at least one of the
tunes was written there. I wanted
to make a jazz album and I accomplished that."
He says that it is his Troy experience
that helped him lead-off on the left foot four years ago. "I'd have to say the friends I made
at Troy
have been the biggest help," he said. "And I think it goes without
saying that being in the SOTS was pivotal to my musical development. I think the freedom to play improvised
solos in a huge marching band was pretty awesome and also helped in
developing a pretty big trombone sound. I still very much like to put the hay in
the barn."
And that's exactly what he's doing with his new album. Chad isn’t
going to work for Wal-Mart, he's going to... I mean he's not going to
just work for his music career; he's going to own it and take it in the
direction he needs to go.
"For the new project, we've gone a little more funky
and a little more rock n' roll,” said Fisher. "I also added a trumpet and
various keyboards to the mix to make for a more lush orchestrated sound.
The tunes that I've written since finishing the first album were all
designed to include these guys so it just made more sense. I hope to put this record out in
October, God willing."
But for now, with his wife-of-one-year Stephanie (whom he met at Troy),
Chad says he's out trying to do what any good bandleader does; promote
the Chad Fisher Group and Birmingham's music scene.
"For me, the hardest part of being a bandleader is cueing changes
with a
trombone to my face," he said. "Also, sometimes it's a challenge
booking and promoting on my own. It can be difficult when I'm working a
lot, playing non-CFG gigs and doing a lot of private teaching. The bills have to get paid and
unfortunately an artistic endeavor like the CFG doesn't always get that
done. Sometimes it does though. So that gives me hope. Birmingham
is a well kept secret in many respects. From what I've seen in nearby
cities, I'd say the jazz scene is one of the best
in the southeast, if not the best. There is a wide variety of music and
clubs here. There's a great indie rock scene, jam bands, R&B, and the list
goes on. It is funny though that
the music industry doesn't seem to have taken notice."
While Chad has played
with some of the biggest names in music (just check out his bio (http://www.chadfishergroup.com/bio.html)
it's Birmingham's
club scene that has fallen under the spell of the slide. "The small clubs are like
home," said Fisher. "The
intimate, familiar environment frees you up to experiment and relax. On the other hand, it is pretty cool to
play for thousands of people. When
I was with Ruben (Studdard), I played for
around 15,000 people at a festival in Florida. I do think that the jazz musician in me
loves those clubs though. I guess
ask me this question again once the CFG has played for 15,000
people."
Even with fans all over the southeast waiting on the CD, Chad says he has
no plans to leave Alabama, not even for one of those big "music
towns."
"I'd like to think that in this day and age that I can make it
without having to move to New York or L.A.," he said.
"I've spent time in both of those
places. They are great but I have
no immediate desire to move to either one. I love it here and I'd love to keep Birmingham home
base. Like I said earlier, it can
be a struggle to gain serious attention here, but I'm working on it. I don't plan on going anywhere anytime
soon."
EXTRA: CFG to Help Victims of Hurricane Katrina
The
Gulf Coast needs our help. As of Sept.
1, 100% of all profits from CFG cd sales on cdbaby.com will
go to the Red Cross disaster relief fund to help hurricane victims. If
you haven’t already purchased this album, now’s the time. Simply go to http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tcfg
and click away. Good music… Good cause…
See the CFG next week:
9-08 The Birmingham Hard Bop Sextet @ The
Moonlight Music Café
9-09 Downright returns from
touring the northeast with a BIG OLE show @ Workplay
9-10 Mingusphere
@ Artwalk 2005 more details to come…
Q: Where’s the CFG???? A: Oh we haven’t gone anywhere and the
fall is gonna be big so stay tuned… ~the CFG http://www.chadfishergroup.com
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Down Memory Lane
with Allen Gray
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Scott Erb, Tattler Staff
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I
was very excited when I got the call from Scott Erb to write this
article. I really started thinking
about this task and, at first, thought I could write a Bill Clinton sized
novel about all of the wild parties in Troy (complete with Sombrero
stories), Rusty Courson filling up my beer
bottle with water when I was a freshman, Mark Vanlandingham
christening Mr. Wadowick’s bathroom during a
pledge party, Frank Miles falling asleep on the phone (or better yet
passing out through the wall and landing in the closet), or the many wild
and crazy antics that we all lived through back in the late 80’s and
early 90’s. I recalled many great
stories from my pledge class and the next few that came after our group
including Mark Vanlandingham actually “knocking
down the wall” in John Richards trailer in view of the Alabama State
Brothers. I also thought about the
countless gigs we did with the Dixieland Band, PMA jazz combo, singing
valentines, Christmas album (cassette tape at the time), Troy TV
appearances, Scott Yielding’s amazing piano
chops and writing Jason Fountain’s “ad-lib” solos.
I
finally settled on one event that sums up what I believe the fraternity
is all about: The Phi Mu Alpha Big Band Dance. We decided to do this event as a
fund-raiser at the Pike
County
fairgrounds. We did a massive
marketing campaign including printed posters that were distributed all
over Troy, Dothan
and Montgomery. I still have a framed copy of the
poster in my office at home. We
worked with WTBF radio to help promote the event and I think they even
donated their popcorn wagon. The
Smith brothers (Ray and James) found music and we borrowed some big band
charts from the TSU music library.
The band was made up of active and alumni brothers and played the
gig with little or no rehearsal.
It seems like everyone in the fraternity played some part in the
process, from the initial concept, planning the event, to actually
running the show that night. I
remember one of the brothers even borrowed a disco ball from the theater
department. We had a blast! The day after the dance we were driving
down 231 with the disco ball in the back of (I think it was) Dallas Burke’s
truck. Unfortunately those disco
balls are pretty aerodynamic and it jumped out of the truck and started
rolling into oncoming traffic.
What a sight! I don’t even remember what we were planning to do
with the money from the dance or if it even made a profit (probably not
after we paid back the theater department). What I do remember is working alongside
people that shared the same passion and goal: to promote music. There is no doubt that I would have
formed life long friendships with many of the brothers even if I had not
been a member of the fraternity.
However, I think this common bond made us all, in many ways, even
closer friends.
It’s
been almost 15 years since that dance but as I write this article I think
about how much life training that one experience gave me. In a way, I’m still doing the same
thing. At Disney, I work with
musicians, dancers, singers and educators to develop and deliver an arts
curriculum experienced by 35,000 students a year. In my publishing company, I’m working
with arrangers and musicians to publish new music and arrangements with a
nationwide audience. It seems that
almost everyone I work with shares a common bond: promoting music. It’s funny how
many brothers have been a part of this journey through the years. I met some of them, like Dallas Burke,
in the early stages of my college years.
I’ve work with several arrangers from around the nation that are
brothers from various chapters.
Even at Disney, I’ve met many professional musicians that are
brothers and even had two bosses that are Sinfonians. In a lot of ways, the projects I work
on today are just like the Big Band Dance, working towards a common goal
with people that are passionate about music (except now they have to make
money or someone gets in trouble, goes broke, or gets fired). Even after all this time, it’s really
funny that life is so similar. By
the way, I did have a party at my place just last week, wore my sombrero
and managed to fit 14 people in the hot tub. I guess some things really never do
change.
P.S.
If you ever wonder what I do in my spare time, check out the album (just
for fun) that I’m working on with some of my friends at Disney. www.geocities.com/tyron01/icebin.html
Allen Gray
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Notes in the Key of Troy
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Jacob Rasberry, IN
Alumni Secretary
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We are back in the swing of things with school. Many things are being planned for this
semester. We are having our first
rush function this year on Friday, Sept. 2. We are planning on a barbecue after
band practice at 4 p.m. at the band practice field. This will be a joint function with the
brothers of Kappa Kappa Psi. We are also planning several other rush
functions, like a pool party at Brother Raymond Smith's house, a bowling
trip and a joint barbecue at L & L Lakes with Sigma Alpha Iota. The dates for these are to be
announced.
The biggest function we are working on achieving is
having a rock band play in the amphitheatre outside the Trojan Center. This is still in the works. We would love to see a large number of
alumni come and visit with us during these dates. As soon as these dates are set in
stone, I promise to send them out over all of the list-serves.
Also, we are serving as the mentor chapter for the
Epsilon Delta colony at the University
of South Alabama. We will have several “meetings” with
the chapter. The dates include
Sept. 16, Sept. 23 and the “final” meeting on Nov. 18. To get more information about these
meetings, e-mail me at jacob.rasberry@gmail.com. Again, we would love to see alumni come
and show their support.
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Birth
Announcement
Royce
Alexander Robinson
Born August 18, 2005
6 pounds, 8 ounces
Mom and baby doing fine!
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My Idea of a Good Sinfonian, Part Three
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Frank Miles, Tattler Editor
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In July, we began a three-part series that outlines
what a good Sinfonian is,
learning from the wisdom of brothers who were there virtually at the
beginning and truly knew what Phi Mu Alpha is
all about.
In part one, the importance of harmony with oneself,
with all brothers and with Sinfonia’s ideals
was stressed. Part two encouraged
all Sinfonians to live up to the qualities of
the acrostic every single day.
Part three, which was awarded third place in the essay
contest but is my personal favorite, ties the first two essays together
and takes it all a step further.
As I said, these guys knew what Sinfonia
was and what it was meant to be. I
hope, from their knowledge, that you have formed your own idea of what a
good Sinfonian is and that you strive, on a
daily basis, to be that good Sinfonian.
My Idea of a
Good Sinfonian
Otto C. Luening, Rho
Chapter
From the May 1924 issue of The Sinfonian
Third
Place – Rho Chapter
Essay Contest
A good SINFONIAN must necessarily be a man to whom
SINFONIA is the symbol of the highest ideal he is capable of conceiving.
He would be a man whose words, thoughts and deeds are
in absolute harmony with this ideal.
Consciously doing his very best every moment, he would
feel reverence and respect toward those brothers who have advanced
further than he on the path which leads toward the realization of the
ideal (SINFONIA).
At the same time the true SINFONIAN would always
observe an attitude of compassion and tolerance toward those who are less
advanced than he. He would show
understanding and lenience toward the shortcomings of others and at the
same time he would be strict and unrelenting in his self-disciplinary
attitude.
Expecting nothing from others and much from himself he
would cultivate an attitude of unselfishness; performing every duty set
before him to the best of his ability, irrespective of reward or thanks,
always pursuing that course of action which would be of the greatest
value for the furtherance of his ideal.
The true SINFONIAN would place absolute faith in the
ideals which SINFONIA stand for. He would live up to them, not only on
the local sense (his duty toward his fraternity) but he would give them a
deeper meaning.
It would be his aim to realize his relation to
SINFONIA, SINFONIA’s relation to American
Music, the relation of American Music to Music as a whole and Music’s
position in the world.
Through thinking in this manner he would expand, his
mind would broaden, his thoughts would become more profound, his actions
worthy and unselfish, and through doing this he would have done
everything possible for the furtherance of SINFONIA and SINFONIAN ideas.
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Call for Articles
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Frank Miles,
Tattler Editor
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What a wonderful year we’ve had. The staff of the Sinfonian
Tattler can’t thank you enough for sticking around through staff changes,
format changes and generally working out the kinks. There are plenty more surprises ahead
as we continue to try and deliver to you an alumni newsletter of the
highest quality possible; one that reconnects you to old brothers and old
friends, updates you on the many changes throughout the fraternity and
the horizons still to come, reports on the state of music and music
education and shows you how you can make it better, and even touches on
some things that might not be related to Sinfonia
or music but are things we feel you would be interested in.
While we do have a staff of competent writers who work
hard to gather the material we present to you, there’s always room for
more. There is no limit on the
word count of the Tat and we’re always looking for fresh ideas and
different perspectives.
In that vein, we want you to know that if you ever
feel the need to enlighten the Tattler readers with some words on music,
fraternity, education or you just want to get something off your chest,
feel free to sit down and write it out and send it to frank@sinfoniantattler.com. Just remember that the Tat is an
internet publication and that billions of eyes have access to it, so
choose your words carefully. But
send ‘em on in and maybe you’ll win a Pulitzer
Prize (or maybe just the attention of a few hundred Sinfonians,
but isn’t that way better than a Pulitzer?!). On and ever upward and happy writing!
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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.
This
month we trek through three sites of tunes and totties! You remember what time of year it is...
it's time for the chapter to step up its recruiting efforts on campus. So in honor of all our
great-grand-this-and-thats we're sponsoring our
own kind of mixer! Click on over
to this internet bartender site, get the recipe and sip on a Sinfonian.
1. http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink1973.html Now with drink in one
hand grab your banjo with the other!
Or you could just click over to this site and sample some
bluegrass by a Sinfonian from up Nawth.
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