[oregon-l] Very cooll, check it out, Preparing for Pasadena

[John A. Fleming]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "peter altschul" <paltschul at centurytel.net>
To: "Acblead" <leadership at acb.org>
Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 3:23 AM
Subject: [leadership] Preparing for Pasadena


> Greetings:
> 
> The following article will be included in FIA's upcoming 
> newsletter "The Log of the Bridgetender."  I am sending it to the 
> list first because I think many of you will be interested, and 
> secondly, because some of you might want to support the effort; 
> details concerning where to sent contributions appear at the end 
> of the article.
> 
> Best, Peter
> 
> -----
> 
> PREPARING for PASADENA: AN INTERVIEW with DAN KELLEY
> 
> Peter Altschul
> 
> As most of you are aware, the marching band at the Ohio State 
> School for the Blind (OSSB) will be marching in the 2010 Rose 
> Bowl Parade in Pasadena, CALIFORNIA.  In order to find out how 
> they were preparing for this big event, I interviewed Dan Kelley 
> by phone.  Dan is one of the band's two Co-Directors.  The 
> interview took place in September, 2009, and my questions and his 
> answers appear below.  Thanks to Nancy Pendegraph and Rowland 
> Bowers for introducing me to Dan.
> 
> Peter Altschul: Thanks for taking time to talk with me.
> 
> Dan Kelly: No problem.  (Background noise of voices and banging 
> chairs).  Let me close the office door.
> 
> PA.  They call Alabama the Crimson Tide and Ohio State the 
> Buckeyes.  What's your band called?
> 
> DK: The Marching Panthers.
> 
> PA.  How many members, and what instruments do they play?
> 
> DK.  We currently have 38 members, most of whom are between the 
> ages of 15 and 17.  Normally, our band is smaller, so we have 
> added some seventh and eighth graders, along with some recent 
> grads.  Our band consists of 3 trumpets, 4 trombones, 3 
> sousaphones, 3 clarinets, 3 alto saxes, 2 tenor saxes, 1 baritone 
> sax, 2 flutes (one doubling on piccolo), 4 bass drums, 3 snare 
> drums, 1 set of tom-toms, cymbals, and 2 glockenspiels.
> 
> PA.  Who does the arrangements, and how do band members learn 
> their parts?
> 
> DK.  It's a team effort.  We buy printed scores that we think 
> might work for us.  I input them into Finale so I can listen to 
> the arrangements and modify them to meet our needs.  I use lots 
> of open fourths and fifths to compensate for our band's small 
> size.  Arrangements are saved as "Smart Music Accompaniment 
> Files" which students can use to learn their parts by ear.
> 
> I am, though, a strong believer of Braille music, so I also save 
> arrangements as XML files which can be imported into Lime from 
> which Braille parts can be printed and embossed using Goodfeel.  
> Others learn their parts using MP 3s and large print.
> 
> PA.  How many read Braille music?
> 
> DK.  Three or four read Braille music pretty well.  We emphasize 
> Braille music reading during the spring.  During marching band 
> season, we stress the idea that they are a team of talented 
> musicians.  We try to instill responsibility, organization, 
> self-discipline, and other life skills as part of the preparation 
> process.
> 
> PA.  How do band members remain in formation?
> 
> DK.  We use marching assistants who walk beside or behind to keep 
> band members in formation.  However, they are used as "safety 
> valves."  Students are expected to learn the drill - how many 
> steps to take, when and how much to turn, keeping their toes 
> pointed, etc.  We stress the importance of spatial awareness.  
> Students take part in a four-day summer band camp when large 
> chunks of time are available for them to learn both the drill and 
> the music.
> 
> Since I cannot see the members, I focus more on the music, and 
> Carol Agler, the other band co-director as well as the Music 
> Director of OSSB, does most of the choreography.  We do sometimes 
> reverse roles, though.
> 
> PA.  Do you form any unique formations?
> 
> DK.  We spell out "Ohio" using Braille letters wherez the Ohio 
> State University marching band spells out the state name in 
> script.
> 
> PA.  What prompted OSSB to decide to apply to enter the Rose Bowl 
> Parade?
> 
> DK.  Several people suggested that we reach out to a broader 
> audience, so we just applied.  We are the only band at a school 
> for the blind that marches.  We wanted to get the message out 
> that there are lots of blind people out there that can contribute 
> to music programs.
> 
> I started off working with the middle school band, and moved onto 
> the high school.   Then, the local School for the Deaf recruited 
> us to provide music for their football games.  Now, it's as if a 
> rocket is strapped to you.  We're going to the next level, and it 
> requires a whole new level of commitment: three music rehearsals 
> and two two-hour marching rehearsals every week.  It's a huge 
> energy transfer; when the kids get it, it's worth it!
> 
> PA.  When the OSSB Band initially applied to march in the parade, 
> were there any questions or concerns raised about a marching band 
> of students who are blind expressed to you?  If so, what were 
> they and how did you handle them?
> 
> DK.  How are these kids going to march six miles while playing 
> instruments?  Our kids aren't as active as their sighted peers, 
> so we have been focusing on building endurance.  We will be 
> marching in three parades and plan to walk five-mile hikes with 
> band members carrying their instruments.  We went on three-mile 
> hikes as part of our summer band camp.
> 
> Every band who marches in the Rose Bowl parade does have members 
> who drop out; there are drop-out stations and water stations.  
> We'll do our best to march the entire six miles.
> 
> PA.  How many pieces will you be playing while marching in 
> Pasadena?
> 
> DK.  Two or three, alternating with drum cadences.  We will also 
> perform our halftime show in front of other bands in FanFest.
> 
> PA.  What are your key priorities as you prepare for Pasadena?
> 
> DK.  Conditioning; the music will come pretty easily.  
> Fun-raising; making sure that we have enough money to cover 
> travel and other expenses.  For one thing, we will be flying to 
> Pasadena using our own plane.  Finally, we are in constant 
> communication with our travel company and Rose Bowl Committee 
> members to address the countless details connected with the trip.
> 
> PA.  How are your fund-raising efforts going?
> 
> DK.  We've raised $110,000 and need $150,000.  The Ohio Lions 
> clubs took us on as a statewide project, and I have been making 
> presentations to Lions clubs, parents, and other groups.  We 
> raised $15,000 through a golf tournament and other events.  Band 
> members are selling stuff to raise money.
> 
> PA.  Where can our readers send contributions?
> 
> DK.  Mail checks to: Ohio State School for the Blind OSSB PTSO, 
> C/O James Peterfish, Treasurer, 5220 N.  High Street, Columbus, 
> OH 43214.  When sending a check, please make sure to put "Music 
> Department" in the intent or notes line of the check.
> 
> PA.  Thanks again for taking time out of your busy schedule to 
> let us know how things are going.  I might call you in January to 
> see how things went?
> 
> DK.  That would be great.
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