[Magdalen] R.I.P. Dave Brubeck

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/7/2015 3:39:16 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
scottknitter at gmail.com writes:

), we in  the MSU band regarded Wisconsin's band as second only
to ours, and  especially because of their excellent  sound.>>>>>>>
 
 
My best friend as an undergraduate was the drummer for the huge,
bass drum on wheels in the Marching Band, and lived in Madison.
He was outraged with what the new directors were doing to the  Wisconsin
Sound, but it was to no avail.  The bottom line is that it LOOKS  better
on television to dance and jerk around so that lip contact with  instruments
is minimal than to worry about the sound.
 
In the last few years there was the observance of the one-hundredth 
anniversary of "On Wisconsin," which in it's original form has a  wonderful
series of secondary melodies in the manner of a good Sousa march.
Even in special concert that year where ordinary playing techniques  were
possible, the director managed to jazz up "On Wisconsin" so badly  that 
these
attractive countermelodies were almost completely gone.
 
I've probably mentioned that my father was at the original presentation  of
"On Wisconsin" to students and all his life regarded it as  semi-sacred.  
In 1945, 
I was with my father in Minneapolis when the Wisconsin Marching Band
came around the corner unto University Avenue to strike up "On  Wisconsin,"
at which point he burst in tears.  It was a moment to remember.
 
 
David Strang.