Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on January 27, 1941.
V-M Photographs Boone Grove High School Band Practice
By HERB STEINBACH
Photography and Engraving by Paul B. Batter Staff Photographer
Only six years old, but already holding a string of district, state and national awards, Boone Grove’s high school band has been busily engaged since September in preparing for new distinctions to post this coming spring.
In an effort to see what makes this musical infant “tick” The Vidette-Messenger recently dispatched a photographer and reporter into the Boone Grove band workshop to secure a photo-word pictorialization.
The press representatives found there an efficient, cooperative group of student musicians, and learned they are backed by a hardworking Band Mothers’ organization which foots most of the bills. The records achieved ー including two invitations to appear in national band contests ー are sufficient evidence that in their director, Harold Luhman, the Boone Grove band has a capable, hard-working chieftain.
Photographer Paul Pattee presents on this page several cross-section views which put together make up the chief workings of this organization. He depicts a portion of the group as they gather at the practice period’s beginning, shows cornet, trombone and drum sections in action. Then he branches out to such “side” featuresーwhich nevertheless are an integral part of the wholeーas the officers of the Band Mothers organization, the student band officials and the baton twirlers in rehearsal.
Organized in 1934
DIRECTOR HAROLD LUHMAN
A band was first organized at Boone Grove in September, 1934, under the direction of Harold Rogers, Valparaiso high school band director at the present time.
Luhman took charge at Boone Grove in 1936 and has been there ever since. He is also in charge of the Washington township school band.
The Boone Grove director formerly resided in Belvedire, Ill., and after receiving his academic training at the University of Kentucky, Luhman graduated in 1936 from the Vandercook School of Music in Chicago. From 1930-35 he directed the Boone (Ill.) County Farm Bureau band.
In the spring of 1935ーunder the leadership of Rogersーa Boone Grove band first appeared in competition with other bands. Classed as a “D” band (for first year groups only) the Grove musicians won first division honors in the state meet at Evansville.
Since that time there have been but three national band contests, and Boone Grove has competed in two of these. In addition solo and ensemble groups have participated each year since 1937 in district, state and national contests. The band contests are held nationally every other year, but solo and ensemble competition is conducted annually.
Long List of Awards
A list of awards won by the Boone Grove bands in the past six years follow:
1935 (class D)ーDirected by Harold Rogers, won first division honors in state at Evansville.
1936 (class C)ーDirected by Harold Luhman, was awarded first in district, first in state and third division in national meeting at Cleveland.
1937ーWon first in district, first in state.
1938ーAwarded first division honors in district, first in state, second in national contest at Elkhart and also won third place in marching at Elkhart.
1938ーFirst in district, first in state.
1940ーFirst in district, first in state. Didn’t compete in national contest.
In the light of the small enrollment of 70 students in high school the achievements listed above are all the more remarkable. Most of the organizations with which Boone Grove competes have larger student membership, class “C” including high schools with enrollments up to 250 pupils.
Effort Is Costly
ABOVE ARE THE Band Mothers’ officers and School Principal Ray Alishouse working over some of the financial problems. Seated at the table in the school library are Mrs. A.E. Rampke, president, reading a report, and M. Alishouse. Standing from left to right are Mrs. Charles Marshal, treasurer; Mrs. Pearl Alyea, vice-president, and Mrs. Ray Williams, secretary.
Conducting band classes is always a costly proposition for any school to undertake, and competing in the district, state and national contest means an added burden on the purse strings. Like many another school the band is backed by their mothers’ organization, but unlike most other groups these Boone Grove mothers do not press the school patrons directly for their funds.
To secure money to meet expenses for instruments and to send the students for instruments and to sent the students to the various contests this wide-wake mothers’ group sponsors dinners, concerts and parties. The band plays at special functions, including political parades in season and thereby adds to the bulge of the coffers.
To send the band to Cleveland in 1936 the band mothers raised $450 by these means. Expenses to the Elkhart national contest in 1938 were of course considerably smaller.
Direct donations were requested but once in six years. That was to purchase 45 new uniforms for the band. The band mothers during the course of these years have accumulated an imposing list of instruments, which cost approximately $2,500, according to Director Luhman. This includes three base horns, one base drum, three snare drums, a set of cymbals, one timpani, two baritone horns, a base trombone, b flat trombone, bassoon, oboe, base clarinet, alto clarinet and three French horns.
Club Offiers
Current head of the band mothers’ group is Mrs. A.E. Rampke. She is assisted by Mrs. Pearl Alyea, vice president; Mrs. Ray Williams, secretary, and Mrs. Charles Marshal, treasurer. The group was organized in 1935. There are approximately 35 members.
The advisory board, which is headed by its trustee, Charles Quinn, in its budget allots the school music department $75 a year, which is used to purchase music for both the band and vocal groups.
At the present time the regular band numbers 40 students. There is also a junior band which has 20 student members. Band officers, are Jeanne Williams, president; Isabelle Dye, secretary, and Jim Bennett, treasurer.
Rehearsals are held on the stage of the gymnasium-auditorium. Instruments and the long collection of plaques are housed in a special band room, which also is used as an office by the director.
THESE THREE LITTLE maids from the Bone Grove high school band form the trombone section. They were caught in action by the Vidette-Messenger photographer during the course of one of the band’s regular triweekly practice sessions. The shot is strictly a “candid” oneーthe lassies not having been tipped off that they were to be the subject of the camera's lens. Photog Pattee lends a little touch of added diversion by shooting this one from an “angle.” The three little maids? They are from left to right, Martha Cooper, Ella Clauss and Jeanne Williams.
BEATING OUT THE rhythm for the band are these drummers threeーElizabeth Kreiger Isabelle Dye and Donald Breitzke (reading from left to right). When marching the band uses a school-owned base drum which has the school name printed upon it.
PLAYERS ARE INSTRUCTED to begin practice sessions orderly and immediately. As they gather the students assemble their instruments (as seen above) and a student director, Miss Jeanne Williams, checks the roll. Below are the school’s baton twirlersーand they begin to train them young. Drum Major Adaline Moench, senior, here demonstrates the art to the younger members, who from left to right are Bonnie Bennett, second grade; Marjorie Lee Casbon, third; Grace Marshal, fourth; Shirley Albertson, eighth; Miss Moench; Edward Pullins and Ruby Strumble, both seventh; Virginia Foster, sophomore, and right from Peggy Ann Graeber, third grade.
THE HIGH STEPPING miss, who wears the tall bearskin hat and shimmering uniform and struts at the head of the Boone Grove high school band when it parades down the street or on the field is Miss Adaline Moench. She is a senior. During the summer months this marching band participates in various activities and last fall was summoned frequently to go on parade at political rallies. Money secured from such performances helps pay for school instruments and for contest expenses.
ANOTHER VITAL PART of any band is the cornet section. At Boone Grove a sextet of boys manipulate the valves. They are pictured above and from left to right are Ronald Baird, Ralph Graeber, Lawrence Miller, Robert Kenworthy, Max and Carl Graever.
IN THE ABOVE photo at the right are the student officers of the band. President of this group is Jeanne Williams. She is shown here standing between her aides, holding a first division plaque presented the school in 1940 at the Whiting state contest. To the right of Miss Williams is Isabelle Dye, secretary and senior snare drummer. At her left is Jim Bennett, treasurer and junior baritone player. The trio are in the band room which houses the school instruments and the numerous plaques collected in the last six years, some of which appear here.
