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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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The moon is turning into a football and the Sound’s in
town!
From Cleveland to Brazil, the
Sinfonian Tattler is spanning the globe to bring you the thrill of victory
and the agony of… wait, sorry – my fantasy football research has my head in
the world of sports. But the Tattler is here to bring you more on
Sinfonia’s new logo, the recent National Convention, and the buzz that is
coming out of Troy
about a certain marching band that we hear is even hotter than this summer
was.
Also, if you’ll remember August’s issue, we gave you the
shortest Q&A ever. This month, we provide for your reading pleasure
what might very well be the longest Memory Lane ever. Try to guess who it
is before you scroll down.
And on a sad note, we’ll reflect on a true Man of Music,
the incomparable Maynard Ferguson.
Welcome to September! Sing it with me now, “Are you
ready for some football?”
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The 2006
Sound’s in Town!
Mr. Ralph Ford, Troy
University Director
of Bands
Special to the Tat
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 The
band camp went very well as we achieved all of our production goals and
ended on Thursday evening with an unbelievable final performance of the
pregame and halftime. Honestly, I don't know where the energy and stamina
came from to pull off what I witnessed by the 2006 membership.
At the end of each season as I walk back to the band hall with Dr. Walker
and Mr. Atwater, we generally reflect back on things. Then, I look them
dead in the eye to say, "Great, how in the world are we going to top
all of that?" Their response is always the same... "we'll think
of something!" It is not generally very consoling at the time, but
they try. Combine this with the amount of talented members that graduate
each year and it can be worrisome. The new crop of musicians always blaze
in and new leadership constantly emerges. It just gets better and better.
Our leadership staff this year is remarkable. Everything is running so
smoothly that I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Those of you who
know me understand that fear of failure is a positive motivation for me.
Strange, but true.
The band is going to be great this year. If you liked Caravan and La
Virgin from previous years, you are going to be obliterated with
"Mad Night in Tunisia"
as well as "Blues in the Night." The original intent of
"Hot City Nights" (as the show is called) was to finish with
Cole Porter's Night and Day. The chart was written and ready to go, all
plans in place to proceed accordingly.
However, after everyone got knocked out, over and upside-down by
"Blues" (everyone on the bank and in a 100-mile radius suddenly
needed champagne and a cigarette - it's a joke, son), we determined that
the complete show is going to work better with "Rhythm of the
Night" from Moulin Rouge sandwiched in the center. The ending of
"Blues" is so strong, especially when combined with the
outstanding choreography by all of the visual units, the audience is
going to feel like the hash browns at the Waffle House... smashed,
scattered, smothered, chunked, spanked and put up wet! The fanfare was so
powerful on the last run, I thought it would solve all of the problems in
the Middle East.
Afterwards, the Alumni Band Association provided the band and their
parents with a wonderful hotdog cookout on the field. I have never seen
so many folks on the bank observing the end of camp in my 27-year history
with the "Sound."
I am humbled and honored to be the Director of the "Sound." I
am truly grateful for the support all of you continue to provide. As I
tell folks every time I am asked to speak, I would not want to be
anywhere else. To me, I have the greatest gig and work with the greatest
staff and students in the entire world (or, as my writing contract
states: "any sovereignty of the universe").
Yes, my friends, the
"SOUND'S" IN TOWN for 2006. It is going to be a
remarkable year working with these remarkable musicians.
I look forward to seeing many of you at home and on the road this year.
Please stay in touch.
Regards, Ralph Ford
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Notes in the Key of Troy
Lance Holman,
Iota Nu Alumni Relations Officer
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And the Gears Begin Turning Again
So another school year begins hear at Troy University. People from all over
the world are gathering and finding common ground. And the incorporation
of the “afternoon nap” has once again become a standard. All is well and
I hope to see a large number of possible candidates for Phi Mu Alpha. Our
numbers are becoming smaller and smaller. All that is left is my
probationary class of nine, and about three or four older brothers.
Luckily, however, I see a lot of dedication in our eyes. We may be small
but all of us have a deep dedication to the prolonged life and security
of our Fraternity.
First Meeting of the Semester
On Sunday, Aug. 20, the brotherhood met for our first
meeting of the semester. We basically gave an overview of the semester
and our current status. Financially we are stable. We have less money
than I would have liked to have seen but we are still going pretty
strong. I have high hopes for our new music director, Scott Sexton. He’s
a hard worker and he has a lot of fresh new ideas. He’s open to
suggestions so alumni I encourage you to e-mail him if you have some
ideas about songs you’d like to hear from us. The big event of the
evening was the resignation of our president, Edward McFarland. Vice
President Martin Sager moved up to temporary office and then was later
voted in as our official president. The problem is that most of the
chapter is now JABS and Martin Sager was both vice president and FEO. So
it limited our options for who we could elect to these offices. We came
to a conclusion and voted Jamie Gray as our new vice president and FEO.
Also, Ronnie Echols stepped down as our warden and Scott Sexton stepped
down as our historian. We elect Aaron Slayback as our new warden and
Robert Lee as our new historian. Alumni brothers, don’t let this
discourage you. We are back up and running strong now.
Current Officers of Iota Nu Chapter
(Updated)
President- Martin Sager
Vice President- Jamie Gray
Treasurer- Adrian Smith
Secretary- Chris Hall
Alumni Relations Officer- Lance Holman
F.E.O.- Jamie Gray
Warden- Aaron Slayback
Historian- Robert Lee
Music Director- Scott Sexton
Faculty Advisor- Dr. John Jinright
The Return of the Random Stories of
the Month
This is a rather short story but I just have to tell
it. My close friend and fellow brother, Robert Lee, visited Martin Sager
and I one Saturday afternoon. He promised his girlfriend that he was just
coming over to see us to get his phone and that he would be back
immediately to go swimming with her. When he arrived he explained this to
us. Once in the house of Martin, he began craving HALO. So much so that
he told us that he would just call his girlfriend and tell her that he was
going to hang out here for awhile (bad idea!!!). For those with
girlfriends and wives you know not to pull something like that and that
it can only end in DESTRUCTION. So he tells us that he’s going to call
her and that he isn’t going to tell her he’s going to play HALO but
rather just say he wants to simply hang out with us. Well… this is what
happens. He calls her and tells her that and she basically calls him out.
Apparently, she saw right through him and was aware of his HALO
intentions. She told him that she was going to get in her bathing suit
and go down to the pool where these two guys were. Martin and I must have
laughed for an eternity. She called him out; the set up and the fall. Of
course Robert was okay and she was just playing but this just goes to
show you… you CANNOT win against women!!!
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Q
& A: Larry Wells
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Phil Wilson, Tattler Staff
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 Larry
Wells has recently been named to the post of president of the Alumni Band
Association. He is married with two children and lives in the Auburn area. He also has accepted the position of
middle school band director in the Phoenix City
school system.
Tat: What year
were you initiated into Phi Mu Alpha?
Larry: 1993
Tat: How has
your training in the fraternity influenced or helped your decision to
become a band director?
Larry: The purposes of the fraternity easily
transfer to working with and setting goals for the instrumental students
that I teach.
Tat: How has the fraternity impacted your
life?
Larry: Aside from personal relationships gained
through my association with the fraternity and its members I've taken
away the ideal that professionally I can achieve anything by advocating
for my visions and goals to my students and co-workers. It has been
very rewarding witnessing and pushing these young people farther than
they ever envisioned their own potential to be.
Tat: I
understand that you now serve as the Alumni Band Association president.
How did this come about?
Larry: That's a great question!!! As soon as
you find out let me know. All I know is that I was announced as the next
Band President at homecoming 3 years ago. I believe it was by a vote of a
committee... behind closed doors. LOL I really don't know. No,
honestly... I don't know. I was the most shocked person in the room.
Tat: How long will you hold this position?
Larry: Two years. And then Tony Whetstone
will be the next president. It's a new alumni, then older alumni type
deal with me being the young guy for this term, even though it's only
been nine years since I’ve been out of school. That still makes me a
"youngung” guess.
Tat: What do you hope to accomplish in
this office?
Larry: We hope to, on a long-term basis,
re-define and re-shape the alumni band from a "homecoming reunion
gathering" into a self-sustaining professional alumni entity. A real
living and breathing organization that meets practically year round,
generates real revenue in order to operate on and gives the members a lot
of opportunities to get together and socialize as well as truly support
the Troy band programs. We have a lot of
activities in the post-planning stages and are just waiting to implement
them. The main focus for us right now is to "dream big and start
small." We are really just trying to plant these little seeds
of change so that we can grow into our biggest dreams and the
revolutionary ideas that Mr. Ford laid out for us at the last homecoming
gathering.
Tat: What, if any, goals have you been
able to accomplish thus far?
Larry: The board held a new fundraising campaign
this summer and generated a sizeable amount of donations, the board
hosted a hotdog cook-out for the current Sound of the South on the last
night of band camp, we have a Laurel Banquet Awards Dinner set up to
honor past members of the band, we want to offer historical documentation
of the band whether it be coffee table books, CD's or DVD's, special
alumni-themed clothing items, different levels of membership and
contributions, a REGULAR newsletter with useful information in it, and we
are trying to make the over-all homecoming experience for everyone a
little more enjoyable.
Tat: As a
fraternity, what can we do to ensure your successful term in office?
Larry: Gosh, we need go old "man power." We've got
newsletters to do, new ideas to generate. But, I'm really excited about
trying to get this coffee table book and DVD thing off the ground (it may
even be after my tenure in office). I really want to pick-up where
Michael Bird and others left off and jump into the digital age and put
all this great archival material to use before it disappears with time.
Tat: As alumni, what
can we do to assist you?
Larry: The hardest thing really is getting the
word out and butts in the seats at something other than homecoming. With
me being a working band director myself it seems that my free time is
short and not really "mine" sometimes. So, just trying to get
these grand ideas to become a reality is the hardest part and fit it into
what are normally hectic teaching days and after school band practices.
The biggest thing the brotherhood can do
is when the alumni board hosts an event we need everyone to jump on board
and show up. Some of these events are going to cost money that will go
back to the current Sound. We need participants to show up. We also need
people to read the newsletter and give us input into what they want to
see in later issues. This way we can meet the needs of the membership
while supporting the current Sound of the South. We've got to communicate
on both sides of the fence. We really want to be here for the current
band and the alumni. We just want to do it more than just once a year
with homecoming.
Tat: Tell us about your recent marriage
and family.
Larry: Julie and I met on my birthday in Troy during the
symphony band tour in the spring of 1993. Flash forward 10 years and we
got married on my birthday on campus at Sorrell Chapel in 2003. We
have a 6-year-old daughter, Georgia, and in September of 2005 we welcomed
Jackson Miles Wells into the family. So, life is good and I'm loving every
minute of it.
Tat: Where are you
currently working and living?
Larry: I accepted the job as assistant band
director at Smiths
Station High
School this summer (so, it's been a crazy,
crazy summer for us with the moving and adjustment of new jobs, selling
and buying houses and no childcare for 6 weeks). As far as my job, I
spend most of my day band directing 7th and 8th graders at Wacoochee Middle
School in Salem,
Ala., and then travel to
the high school in Smiths for the rest of my day. Check us (and fellow Sinfonian
Rusty Courson and Jed Smart) out at http://www.sshsband.org/
Prior to this job I was
at Slocomb High School for 7 very successful
years. My family and I currently live in Auburn.
Tat: Any Shout-outs?
Larry: Shout-outs.......????? To all the guys
that went with us to Lyrecrest that first time. Dave Lawrence for
making the motion to go and all you guys for voting to make it happen. I
was driving to work the other day and was just thinking about how cool
that was to be performing the Big "R" there in Evansville. Some really great memories
guys.
To my big bro Michael and little bro
Bradley.
All the guys from Sherwood....
And....I'll see all you guys November 4.
Once, Always and Long Live.
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Cleveland Rocked!!!
John Mitcham,
Province 34 CPR
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Greetings Brothers!
This past summer, I had the honor to represent the
brothers of Province 34 as a delegate to the National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.
For five days, I joined hundreds of other Sinfonians in fellowship and
song… and beer, hot dogs, and baseball. Although busy with legislative
duties, we had plenty of time to enjoy the myriad events scheduled for
the convention. Here is a recap of the week’s activities.
Day One: After dragging myself to the Birmingham
airport at 5 a.m., I arrived in Cleveland
around noon to have lunch with Province 34 Governor Tony Cowan. Following
registration, I ran into several other brothers from the province,
including a large contingent from Omicron Phi (University of Alabama),
Pi Sigma (Samford), and Iota Nu’s own John Phillips. We were all happy to
find out that Playboy Magazine was holding a four-day amateur photo shoot
on the 20th floor of our convention center.
The opening ceremony was truly impressive. Flanked by
the largest attendance of a National Convention in fraternity history
(almost 500 brothers), the delegates processed into the room to the sound
of a bagpipe. After being addressed by President Richard Crosby and other
national officers, the ceremony concluded with a massive singing
rehearsal in which the chords of “Hail Sinfonia” reverberated throughout
the halls of the convention center.
Day Two: While the delegates attended the first of
many legislative meetings, other brothers chose from various sessions
that included Chapter Leadership, Fund Raising and Fraternity History. At
a special noon luncheon, the entire convention was privileged to present
the late jazz legend Maynard Ferguson with the Man of Music Award.
Brother Ferguson accepted his award with grace and honor, and I join
others in expressing sorrow at his recent death. His last act for Phi Mu
Alpha was the donation of a large poster of the movie Rocky on which he
wrote “Hail Sinfonia” (the film spawned his 1977 hit Gonna Fly Now).
Ferguson’s
poster was used in a silent auction benefiting the Sinfonia Foundation,
where it was bought by our own Province 34 Governor Tony Cowan. Following
the presentation of the Man of Music Award, the entire convention visited
the National Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the Cleveland waterfront. The evening’s
festivities were capped off by a formal awards gala in which the
accomplishments of the previous triennium were acknowledged.
Day Three: After another morning of legislative
meetings and workshops, the brothers of the convention journeyed to Cleveland’s historic
Jacob’s Field for a Sinfonia Sing. After performing various songs
(including Take Me Out to the Ball Game), the brothers processed
into the stadium for a game between the Cleveland Indians and the Minnesota Twins.
Phi Mu Alpha received great publicity when one hundred brothers from the
convention performed the Star Spangled Banner in a televised performance
on the field. John Phillips represented Iota Nu in this honor. During the
game, all brothers feasted on an all-you-can-eat buffet of hot dogs, BBQ,
and other terribly unhealthy foods. Oh, and beer. Needless to say, the
caterers soon ran out of food. Famous Sinfonian hypnotist David Rousch
concluded the evening with a special presentation, in which more than one
brother believed he was a barnyard animal of some sort.
Day Four: Yet more meetings and legislative duties.
After lunch in downtown Cleveland,
the general assembly was treated to an impressive performance by the
Sinfonian Winds. Under the direction of Colonel John Bourgeois, this
all-brother ensemble concluded its concert with the march The
Sinfonians. Perhaps the greatest highlight of the week was the
evening’s initiation ritual. The honorary recipient was Roland Carter,
Professor of Music at the University
of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Carter was fortunate to be
inducted in the largest initiation ritual in fraternity history. I am
thankful the sensitivity of this subject prevents me from describing it,
for words cannot depict such an experience. Brother Carter later
expressed his amazement, remarking it was “the most moving ceremony I
have ever beheld.” That evening, the convention traveled south to the Blossom Center, where we watched a
performance of the renowned Cleveland Symphony Orchestra. After a short
ride home (including a tire blowout), Brother John Mongiovi gave another
one of his famous presentations on the history of the initiation ritual.
Day Five: The final day of the convention included a
wrap-up of legislative activity, as well as the Ceremony for Departed
Brothers. Led by Father Don Cramer, this ceremony remembered all
Sinfonians lost in the past triennium. After reading a list of submitted
names, all brothers were invited to address the assembly with the names
of their lost alumni. I was deeply moved when one elderly brother
approached the microphone to recall the name of his pledge brother of
over 60 years, who had recently passed away. The week’s activities were
concluded with a closing session in which President Richard Crosby joined
other new national officers in an installation ceremony. I arrived at the
airport, believing my week with the brothers of Phi Mu Alpha was over. I
was wrong. My short flight from Cleveland
to Detroit
should have been named “Air Sinfonia.” The vast majority of its
passengers were brothers flying back to various parts of the nation.
After a lengthy layover in the Detroit
airport with dozens of other brothers, I bid them farewell, and boarded
my plane for Birmingham.
When I graduated from Troy State
University, I never
imagined I would have the opportunity to attend a Phi Mu Alpha National
Convention. When the opportunity came, it was met with a mixed feeling of
joy and regret. The convention could not have come at a worse time. I was
in the moving process, as well as trying to complete my Master’s thesis
and prepare for comprehensive exams. However, a week in Cleveland with five hundred other
Sinfonians (and a few centerfolds) allowed for a wonderfully inspiring vacation.
I highly recommend attendance at any future convention (with a possible
2009 convention in Orlando).
The national fraternity goes to great lengths to make them
family-oriented events, with many alumni bringing their wife and kids.
More importantly, it is a watershed event where Sinfonians young and old
reaffirm their oath of obligation and engage in brotherly activities. In
a future article, I will discuss the constitutional changes made during
the 2006 National Convention. Until then, best wishes for a great year.
Fraternally,
John Mitcham
Iota Nu Alumni
Special Announcement
John Mitcham,
Province 34 CPR
Brothers,
I would like to invite any alumni in the area to the
annual Province 34 Mills Music Mission. This year’s event will be held at
Somerby Institute in Birmingham
on Sunday, Sept. 10. Brothers are asked to dress in pin attire and come
prepared to sing to the elderly. Call time for a short rehearsal is 12:45
p.m., followed by the performance at 1:30 p.m. All you need is a songbook
(if you can find it) and yourself. I look forward to seeing as many
alumni in the Birmingham
area as possible.
Location: Somerby at University
Park, 400
University Park Drive, Homewood,
Ala. (Directly off of Lakeshore Drive,
across the street from Samford
University)
Date and Time: Sunday, Sept. 10, 12:45 p.m.
NOTE: If
you can make it to the MMM, please plan to stick around afterward and
attend the Province Council Meeting at Samford.
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Winds of Change
Travis Bryant, Tattler Staff
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Last
month, we gave you a peek at Phi Mu Alpha's new logo and identity plans.
We hope you watched Ryan Ripperton's video as he presented the new look
to all 450 convention attendees. No doubt, this is all groundbreaking
stuff and many alumni have concerns about what this renewed national
outlook means for them and the fraternity that they've loved through the
years.
 Dan
Krueger, Director of Alumni Affairs, took time to answer some questions
surrounding the new initiatives (while hobbling around on a broken leg).
Krueger says that the push is for a singular stronger fraternity, one
that strengthens the bonds we all hold near and dear.
Below
are some questions I put to Kreuger as he fills in the details explaining
that yes, Phi Mu Alpha will be the same fraternity you love, just
stronger.
TAT: Will the new logo be added to
the list of logo styles out there for Phi Mu Alpha or will there be a
purposeful move to replace some of the older styles?
DK: We want to strongly encourage
our chapters, provinces and alumni associations to utilize this logo. It
will help to unify the fraternity at every level. We are not going to
outlaw the use of these other logos nor will we have the ability to
police their use. It is our hope that everyone embrace this logo and use
it in their recruitment and alumni communications.
TAT: Are there any alumni focused
initiatives that are planned to kick off in concert with the
implementation of the new unifying identity?
DK: The fraternity is looking at
launching a number of directives that will start appearing in the summer
of 2007. I don't want to give up too much information, but it could
potentially revolutionize how the Fraternity works with our publications.
The upcoming issue of The Sinfonian will reflect a re-design.
The
Graduating Brothers Packet will be getting an upgrade and will
incorporate the new logo. I am also working with Matt Garber, Director of
Development for the Sinfonia Educational Foundation, to launch an alumni
event to coincide with the Leadership Institute (formerly Conclave) in
July 2007.
TAT: When will the new design be
implemented (website, stickers, patches, banner, etc.)?
DK: The announcement of the logo
was first announced to all Convention attendees and we had a number of
merchandise options for them to purchase afterwards. The official
announcement will be coming out any day now (which will probably be
before the Tattler goes to print).
TAT: In a perfect world, how should
alumni work to help unify the fraternity?
DK: In our history, we have had
over 400 chapters and each of them have had their own identity. While
being unique is good and fresh, there was not a lot of connection. I have
found that alumni from one chapter don't want to hang out with alumni
from another chapter. It's not until recent history that you see more
interaction between chapters through workshops, province events, national
events, etc. It's my hope that this trend will carry over from the
collegiate experience.
All
of our members have something to gain through interaction. Whether it is
collegiate to alumni, or alumni to alumni, the experiences that we share
through our fellowship bring benefit to each of our members and make the
Fraternity stronger.
More Info: http://www.sinfonia.org/news/visualidentity.asp
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Down Memory Lane with Chuck Maguire (IN ’95)
Phil Wilson,
Tattler Staff
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 It
is a very humbling experience to visit the memories that have brought me
to the career path I have chosen. Music was a part of my life at such an
early age but it wasn't until the days of Troy and Iota Nu that I found my way.
As I reflect on my days at Troy,
my most musical and influential experiences came from the fraternity. Phi
Mu Alpha provided a forum for the best in music and its principles
fostered the deepest possible understanding of music as an Art. It is
these ideals that have led me to my current place and that have served as
the foundation of my educational endeavors... did that all just sound
like a professor wrote it? What have I become?
We all come to points of reflection and when I reflect I think not only
about the music but about the people that made it so incredible. With
that I present Chuck Maguire's most memorable moments from days past.
These will be formulated in a list to provide private enjoyment for all
of those who are included in them.
To King Pitts: Long Live the KING!!!
To Holy Motor Oil and Jeremy Horn
To "Everything Is A Reason"
To Stalactites of pooh hanging from the bathroom in THE HOUSE OF BEEF...
behind the toilet... in the carpet... on the couch... footprints leading
out the door... you get the idea
To drinking my H2O "Scott Grossman"... please note the editing
: )
To heads through windows
To riding with Wickie but most important of all, learning about
Lincolnshire Posey during listening hours (Thanks Michael Wickershiem)
To learning all of The Phantom of the Opera from the number of times
Chris Grider sang it... uggggggh!
To putting flashlights together in the dark
To seeing the most inventive destruction of a Drum Major's Mace in
history... Paul McNeely Rocks!
To Bourbon street
and taking pictures with Chris Smith, Vince Jackson and Brandon
Blackstone.
To writing "Sinfonia" with my pledge brothers... what a night
that was
To Conducting Robin Hood with Will Boartfield... I conduct better than
you now boy!!!
To the Coffee Kettle
To going down to Fragile Rock!
To Michael Bird and his fine band in Jack, Alabama
To Michael Bird and his fine band of women in the House of Beef
To Mrs. Franks in a sports Bra... "Coffee Taulk...Talk amongst
yaselves"
To "CALLING ALL VEGETABLES"
To Joey getting in a wreck... and another... and his mom cooking Beer
Battered Shrimp
To Hurricane Opal and my Chevy Celebrity
To waking up to Alanis Morissette every single Sunday morning... Thanks
Travis
To my quite profound and superior green book laminating skills
To couch change from parties and the purchase of Crowe's Chicken on Three
Notch... yum yum
To that big stump at Jinright’s house
To angry Italians... can someone say SPOTO?
To Travis... or is it TRAVESSSSSSSSS?
To being in the Sound when Frank Miles celebrated his 100th halftime
performance
To the inspiration of Shay Watson and his belief that a bunch of
non-vocal guys could actually sing with passion and sonority... Thanks
Bro!!!
To Johnny Brewer and getting to know him as a person and not just the person
he wanted me to think him to be... while at Lyrecrest... what an
incredible musician
To Michael Bird sleeping underneath Richard Crosby's desk at Lyrecrest
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Hey Birdman, wasn’t it Gary Ingle’s
desk? FM)
To "The color of the piano player is BLACK"… I LOVE MY BIG
BROTHER VINCE :)
To the invention of color copies... the in-turn production of fake
shingles... and the destruction of these said fake shingles... ACADEMY
AWARD GOES TO DAMON ANDERSON!!!
To finding probationary brothers at Taco Bell... at the most un-opportune
time... poor guys!!!
There are way too many things that I could write about and if I had sat
down at a completely different time, this list would be different. I
think that it is difficult to pull out individual memories and say that
they shaped or molded us into the person we are today. It is just easier
and perhaps more appropriate to accept the Iota Nu experience as is
intended... as a whole. It is this WHOLE that I look back upon and
reflect on. For a group of seemingly very different people to be able to
come together and work for a greater good for the purpose of something so
meaningful and abstract is truly the salient point to this "down
memory lane." I am truly grateful for each and every memory of my brotherhood.
You allowed me purpose when a little boy from Atmore, Ala.
couldn't really see the road ahead. For that I am sincerely thankful and
blessed to have had the "Iota Nu Experience."
Yours In Brotherhood,
Chuck Maguire
IN' 95
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Back from Brazil
Scott Erb, Tattler Staff
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Last month we all read about Indiana Kirby and the
Scales of Brazil. We recently sat down with Doc after his great adventure
to hear the stories.
Gentlemen, the quest continues as always…
This time the door to return to Cuba wasn’t open for our mission team, but
another one opened in February when I went to Atlanta
for an Expo (Abraham & Donaldo) where they told us about the Brazil
trip. After much prayer, I accepted the challenge and started my new journey.
This was quite a different experience than I had with Cuba. It
took me an extra 24 hours to get out of NYC, but God used that time so
that I could "dance a little on Broadway," have a real New York
deli sandwich, get some t-shirts and postcards, and share my faith with
two Muslim cabdrivers and a plane full of New Agers headed to Brazil
also.
Once in Brazil,
I participated in the last day of an Expo in Sao Paulo performing with the orchestra
and chorus at worship services Saturday night, twice on Sunday and on
Monday night, as well as at a fundraiser for a local orphanage Tuesday
night and at Project GURI on Thursday, where we taught a Master Class to
the students. Project GURI is a government-funded performing arts program
for the poor students of Brazil.
We also got to hear a professional regional orchestra in concert at the
municipal auditorium. Last, but not least, we toured an instrument
factory, which was first-rate.
While I enjoyed my time in Brazil,
I would have to say I preferred Cuba. In Cuba we
were allowed to bring instruments and supplies that they can’t get
otherwise, and their faith is so amazing in the midst of their poverty.
Brazil is
different than Cuba
because they are a successful economy, like the U.S.,
with a great deal of material wealth. This in turn brings the temptation
to rely on your physical wealth and not on God. Both Brazil and Cuba are very sensual
cultures, with overtly female and male fashions. We saw a fancy lingerie
shop on every corner in downtown Sao
Paulo and all over the malls. Casual nudity was
rampant on TV in Brazil. Both
are Mediterranean cultures, as opposed to the USA which is more Northern
European.
We were very impressed with the musicians, especially the Brazil
Military Police Band who played the “Stars & Stripes Forever” by
memory. The Police Band is a musical organization somewhat analogous to
the National Concert Band of Cuba, although we were not as impressed with
the Brazilian brass players. Reed players were outstanding, and
we really enjoyed a Jazz group, The Gerson Galante
Quintet, which we heard in one of the nightclubs in Sao Paulo (Check out their music by
emailing gersongalante@terra.com.br).
In my earlier articles I talked about the pay scale of
musicians in Cuba.
How a musician is one of the highest paying jobs in Cuba. Brazil’s musician pay scale is more like
the USA,
but our pay scale is still better for practically any job.
You might want to know what my next journey is.
Actually, I'm committed to a GMP trip to Greece
May 31 with my brother Steve's orchestra and chorus from Idlewild Baptist
in Tampa.
My other brother Dennis (a Sinfonian, 1997, from Troy U's Iota Nu chapter
like me) is headed to Malaysia
with a big band Dec. 26. As long as I have the strength and the chops and
God calls me to go, I'll keep heading off with Global Missions Projects.
I also appreciate my GM at WTBF Radio, Jim Roling, and my churches (Pine
Level and Hill's Chapel UMC) for giving me carte blanche to go on mission
whenever I am called.
Stay tuned for next May’s issue for the Next Adventure
of Indiana Kirby. Also, catch December’s and January’s issues for Dennis
Kirby’s exciting trip.
At the end of the article last month we left some
exciting cliffhanging questions. Doc takes time to answer them for us.
Thanks Doc!
Answers to the questions from last month’s article:
- Will Doc Change
the World? Actually, what gets changed is ME! God uses these
world experiences to change me.
- Will Doc hit
that High “C” that he hasn’t been able to hit before? I probably
won't get that High C this side of Heaven.
- What direction
do the toilets flush on the other side of the equator? I can
tell you that the toilets FLUSH STRAIGHT DOWN. They use a vacuum
system different from ours. However, the water in the sink did swirl
backwards.
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Kirby “Live on the Air”
Listen to Michael
Bird’s Saturday Morning Radio Show on
WACV AM 1170 Montgomery with
special guest Doc Kirby.
Click Here to Listen to the Recordings…
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Travis Bryant ,
Tattler Staff
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.
It's that time of year! And you can bet the Tat staff
is ready to see
some football! We're looking for our stadium seats,
practicing our
T-R-O-J-Aaaaaaaa-N-S chants and thanking the Almighty
that we're not stuck in some corner somewhere copying greenbooks.
But to get us off on the right foot, in a true 8-to-5
glide step, we
offer up this site chronicling collegiate fight songs:
http://fightmusic.com/
The site boasts over 600 tunes, some in WAV others in
MP3, for you to
peruse and see how they stack up against our own. Be
forewarned, the guy maintaining the site is a Nitanny Lions fan and it
shows. But it's not that bad. He could have been a Jacksonville Gamecocks
fan.
Next up, a little-bitty site that some may have heard
of... MySpace.
We know how many of our alumni and musician friends
maintain MySpace spaces. Heck even the Tat staff keeps one (here's
the link). Looks like Newscorp, who bought MySpace for a measly
half-billion dollars last year, will be making a dead tree version of
their service.
Here's just a quick blurb announcing their plans...
MySpace: The Magazine...
http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=111469
You can bet we'll pass on any new details we come
across.
Back before South
Park and Richard
Cheese, we had Weird Al Yankovic. His new album drops 9.26.06. With
accordion in tow he parodies Green Day, Usher and many others. To promote
the album (Album Straight Outta Lynwood), Weird Al has a site where you
can watch a video and download the song to the first single "Don't
Download This Song." It's set to "We Are The World" and
has a line in there about Lars Ulrich being whiny. Which I totally
support. Who knew someone with his rock metal pedigree could be such a
baby? Whether you agree with him or not, Lars is a big baby these days.
But I digress...
Check out Weird Al's track here:
http://www.dontdownloadthissong.com/DDTSecard.html
Until next time!
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July 22nd
– Justin Amaro married Amy Ray in Dothan,
AL
Jennifer and
Casey Speigner are the proud new parents of Benjamin Curtys Speigner 6 lbs
14oz and 18 inches long... More
info at www.speigners.com
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Requiem: Maynard Ferguson
Frank Miles,
Tattler Editor
 When
I was in seventh grade, my parents made me join the band. I didn’t want
to do it. Even at that young age, I was aware of the stigma surrounding
the notion of a being a “band geek.” As one of the smart kids, I was
already not on the popular list. Being in band would only make things
worse. It just wasn’t cool.
My first band director wasn’t very cool. Mr. Allen was
a perfectionist with a strict regimen. While I always respected him and
appreciated the strong foundation he laid for me as a musician, he never
really made playing fun.
Originally, Mr. Allen wanted me to take up the French
horn, an instrument that my embouchure was actually better suited for.
But it wasn’t fun either. I wanted to play the melody, and fortunately
for me my parents couldn’t afford a French horn. So I went with the
trumpet. But it still was never really fun, and it certainly wasn’t cool.
I stuck with it and when I got to high school I
discovered there were more ensembles to play in than just concert band.
There was a jazz ensemble and this thing called marching band where you
could perform at halftime on Friday nights and get into football games
free. That was pretty cool. Since these things were new, my interest was
renewed, but I had to play third part, which wasn’t the melody I had
grown accustomed to playing, and I still didn’t feel cool.
Then one day a friend
of mine and fellow trumpeter ran up to me and said, “man, you gotta here
this!” He hit play on his boom box and the sound I heard changed my life
forever. It was cool.
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