High School Bands
The firstWorld War and the service bands marching in uniforms made the people of Americaband conscious. The trumpets and cornets rang out boldly inOver ThereandTipperary, while the saxophones moaned their way throughAvalonandRoses of Picardy. Everyone whistled or sangK-K-K-Katy,Beautiful KatyorPack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag. Then the War ended and the mood faded.
Radios came into general use. A few fine bands and orchestras were assembled by the large radio companies. Their new records, perfectly produced, became widely popular. People found it unnecessary to travel to cities to hear good music, and thousands of trained bandsmen were left without jobs. The manufacturers of band instruments suffered great losses in their business until they discovered a new field in working with high school bands.
American youth ran wild with the “school band” idea, but with capable instruction and supervision the amateur organizations soon became worthwhile projects. The ex-soldier bandsmen jumped at chances toteach and direct high school bands. The instrument makers sold them the various instruments on reasonable terms and the music dealers generously furnished the music at reduced rates.
Financial aid was made possible by the Landers Band Tax Law. Major George W. Landers, a noted army and municipal bandleader of Clarinda, Iowa, was the author of a movement for state legislation to permit minor cities to tax themselves for the support of municipal bands. This law was passed and more than one-half the states of the Union quickly adopted the measure. Major Landers is one of the few reformers who has lived to see his plan working. Now in his 90’s he is an Honorary Life Member of the National Bandmasters’ Association.
Another great aid to the high school bands was a national band contest sponsored by music manufacturers who gave the winners generous money prizes. The first venture in 1923 was a huge success and started the contest idea off with a bang. This was the beginning of a most profound movement which worked a decided change in the whole status of bands in the United States, and from which an entirely new school music program grew.
A number of school boards woke up to the cultural and educational value of the new band development among the youth. They made it a regular part of the curriculum, and school credits were given the course.
National band contests were sponsored by various industries, service clubs, and often by state fairs. Beginningin 1925 contests were held annually in various cities. The heads of the Service Bands and tops in concert bands and other noted musical organizations gladly cooperated in this great musical movement by acting as judges and band leaders. The meet held at Flint, Michigan in 1930 was highly spectacular. John Philip Sousa led forty-two large bands in a mammoth concert before an audience of 75,000.
Although school bands originated in the Midwest states, they soon sprang up like mushrooms over the entire nation. In some states as many as 600 to 700 bands entered state-wide competition. The idea grew too large for the plan, and in 1937 the country was divided into ten regions. Contests were held in each state, then these winners competed in the regional meets, and the victors joined in the national competitions.
The name “Competition Festival” replaced the title “Contests.” Instead of selecting a first, second and third winner in each group of contestants and giving them prizes, the rating plan is now used—five ratings for the best performances in each class of musicians entered. The students are not competing against any one person but are trying to equal or approach a perfect standard (or example) of performance. The ratings are listed as follows:
1.Bestconceivable performance of the class which is being judged.2.Unusuallyfine performance.3.Goodperformance.4.Averageperformance.5. A performance showing much room for improvement.
1.Bestconceivable performance of the class which is being judged.
2.Unusuallyfine performance.
3.Goodperformance.
4.Averageperformance.
5. A performance showing much room for improvement.
The leading authorities in the field of music education have come to believe that “the principal purpose of competitioninmusic is to advance the cause of educationthroughmusic.” They feel that this activity contributes great value in building character through the experience, team work, good fellowship and the ability to be good losers as well as proud winners.
After the division of the country into regional areas in 1939, 20,000 to 25,000 high school bands were listed in the United States. In 1950 a report on Music Education in the schools states that 35,000 high schools have bands. In several states departments of music education have been introduced. The American Music Conference attributes this upsurge in music interest to demands on school systems made by parents. In more than 500 communities in 21 states parents have organized “Community Music Councils” to support school programs, consult with school principals and boards, and to insist upon the employment of music supervisors and instructors.
On many occasions unusual means have been used to arouse and stimulate the interest of student players. The directors of a number of Wisconsin school bands hit upon the novel idea of combining a band clinic and a circus.
In Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Dr. Lawrence Skilbred, director of music education and 24 other band directors decided to engage Merle Evans, the famous leader of the Ringling Brothers’ Band and hire a miniature three-ring circus of sixteen acts.
Each of the twenty-four bands in the group was allowed to send five of their star players. Over 100 outstanding student musicians began rehearsing including Ringlings’ music for their Grand Entry,Red WagonsandCircus Days. The gymnasium in the Fond du Lac High School was transformed into a three-ring circus. The demand for tickets couldn’t be supplied. The performance was perfect. Every step of the military ponies, each swing of the trapeze, every pirouette of the waltzing lion was accompanied with appropriate music from the band. At the conclusion Bandmaster Evans mopped his brow and told the All-Star players, “Everything went like clockwork. You were the largest band I have ever conducted—and one of the best!”
Generally acknowledged as the first School Band in America is “The Farm and Trades School Band” of Thompson’s Island, in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. This school, established in Boston in 1814, was moved to its present location nineteen years later.
Nathaniel Hawthorne visited the Island school in 1837 and fully described it in “The American Notebooks,” calling it “The Manual Labor School for Boys.” Today, just as then, besides courses in Junior and Senior high school studies, practical courses are taught in Agriculture, iron forging, painting, printing, woodworking, mechanical drawing, steam engineering and boat operation. The pupils spend half their time in classes and half in working at their trades.
The School band was organized in 1857 and has been in continuous existence ever since—for almost a century. The boys’ first attempt at making music was on tissue paper-covered combs. This effect was soon improved by the addition of a bass viol, three violins, a sax horn, a cornopean and a small drum.
The principal of the school, John R. Morse, was director and general supervisor, and a special instrument instructor assisted him. The band increased in number rapidly and improved in its performance even more quickly. The first concert was given in 1858, and the band proudly led the procession when the School made its annual pilgrimage to Boston the next year, 1859. This was probably the first public appearance of any school band in the world.
There was little money available to spend on band equipment, but by using suits of several different styles in a few odd shades, they were fitted out with uniforms. New instruments had been obtained, and each glistened like gold, although the horns, wobbling as the players marched, pointed in various directions.Every proud bandsman carefully donned his snowy white gloves before handling his instrument.
Although the band was only four years old when the Civil War began, the director and sixteen former players enlisted as Musicians. Mr. Morse returned from the War and completed a span of fifty years as director of the band.
The high point in the band’s history, as well as the greatest event in the lives of its members at that time, was playing at the Peace Jubilee. In response to an invitation from Patrick Gilmore, the famous band conductor, the Farm and Trades School Band played in his great 1,000-man band at the first Peace Jubilee at Boston in 1869. Ever afterwards those boys boasted of having performed with this group of bandsmen from at least five different countries.
The present bandmaster, Mr. Frank L. Warren, was chosen in 1923. A thorough musician, he is exceptionally well-fitted for this office. He directs several bands in the Boston area, is a member of various musical organizations—among them, the U. S. Army-Navy Bandsmen’s Association and the 101st Engineers’ Band. He inspires the school boys with a genuine love of music and a real joy in playing. The Farm and Trades School Band has throughout its years, won many honors at the state and the New England school band contests and later, high ratings at the Competition Festivals.
The popularity of the band has constantly increased. For instance, out of a school enrollment of 82, thereare 50 in the band. Various nationalities are included in the membership—at one time, one player was an American Indian lad named “Rainbow Red Canoe,” a great grandson of the famous chief “Sitting Bull.”
Most boys who have begun their music study with the band make it a hobby in later life, and many choose it as their lifetime profession. Composers, arrangers and music publishers have come from this Farm and Trades School Band, while many other former players have become valued members of symphony orchestras, opera and theater orchestras and nationally-famous concert bands.
The Pioneer Leader of School Bands
The High School principal, hurrying out to lunch stopped at the foot of the stairs and listened in astonishment.
“Horns and drums,” he muttered, “I’ll have to see what is going on down here!”
He followed the sounds easily and through the rear door of the manual training room saw a group of boys, seated on nail kegs and boxes, playing various instruments. A stocky young man was busily directing them.
The principal smiled and quickly turned away. “Mac has certainly started something this time!” he said tohimself. But not until years later did he realize that he had seen in its very beginning, Joliet’s famous School Band under its leader, who became the Dean of the School Band movement. This was the commencement of the greatest wave of music ever to sweep the country.
A. R. McAllister was born on a farm near Joliet, Illinois. As a very small boy he was fond of making music. Seldom was he seen without a cornstalk fiddle or an elder flute.
To the dismay of his thrifty Scotch father, Archie sold his pet pig for eight dollars and immediately sent a request to a mail order house for a cornet costing that exact sum. However, the elder McAllister was pleased that his son sent a C.O.D. order. Evidently he was going to be sure to get the worth of his money.
The boy tooted away faithfully and was soon able to play tunes. His next thought was to teach other boys in the neighborhood and organize a band. The group made good progress and had fun besides, although some of the neighbors declared “That McAllister boy does nothing but fool around with music and will never amount to anything.” But the first year of its existence this new band entered a contest and won the first prize—a music rack. The second year they again won first prize—this time a five-dollar bill.
Then Arch grew restless. He wondered which to follow—business or music? He loved music but he wanted to make money quickly, so he took a course in business school and got a job as auditor of the street car company. That failed to satisfy him. He sold hiscornet and went “out west” to a fruit ranch in Montana. There he worked into a different line, woodworking, building and making things with his hands. He felt he had a real talent for this sort of work and soon went back to Chicago to teach manual training in a Jewish training school.
A few years later McAllister accepted a position as Manual Training teacher in the High School in Joliet, Illinois. Here he seized upon an opportunity to get back into music work. He rounded up twelve boys who liked music but knew nothing at all about it. They gathered up a dozen used instruments, and McAllister began to teach and train the High School Band, which at first was looked upon solely as an aid to the football team. Their lessons were given outside of school hours and for some time McAllister received no extra salary.
The boys worked faithfully, their membership increased and their ability improved, but no one knew much about them. In 1920 the Joliet Rotary Club took McAllister and his band to Atlantic City to their convention. There they attracted much attention.
When the first national school band contest was held in Chicago, twenty-five bands took part in the affair sponsored by the Music Instrument Manufacturers. The Joliet, Illinois Township Band (Grade School) directed by A. R. McAllister, easily won first prize.
The Joliet Band continued to win first place in contests in 1925, 26, 27, and 1928. Then they were barred from entering to give other bands a chance. But when they re-entered they came out first in each contest.
The Joliet High School Band after having won many state and national contests was finally given an honor no other organization will ever have: thefirstnational school band trophy ever awarded in the world.
Bandmaster McAllister took his band on many pleasurable concert trips, but the outstanding, unforgettable jaunt was a whole week’s engagement playing in Radio City Music Hall in New York in March, 1936. The Joliet Band also played at the Metropolitan Opera House, in Philadelphia and in Washington, D. C. on the steps of the East front of Capitol Building where they were cheered by Congressmen and Senators.
Many honors came to McAllister also. He was elected the first President of the National School Band Association, organized in 1926, and served for eight years. He was president of the American Bandmasters’ Association, and prominent in every organization connected with school music.
A. R. McAllister died September 30, 1944, loved and honored by many thousands of people, young and old. He was an extremely modest man, yet he had one of the most brilliant careers in the history of instrumental music education in America’s public schools.
McAllister was not a University man; he never graduated from a music school, never had a doctor’s nor a master’s degree. Yet he created one of the greatest high school bands in the world and was known and loved by millions of young Americans.