St.Aug 2004-2005 "Caught Up"
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We are talking about the same things. When I got to St. Aug in 97 some things were good and some things were bad. When I came back in 9th grade, Mr. Fields worked to fix all of our problems (playing things incorrectly, not being able to drill on the field, playing stupid 8va's, etc. ) by the time I was in 10th grade, we had exercised our demons and were experiencing a renissance. We were becoming the "Marching 100" I grew up watching. When I graduated in 2002 we had just come off of the Rose Bowl. Less that 5 years later, they marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I know you and I just want to see them look like they did when Mr. Hamp was there-disciplined, sounding clean, etc. (selfish as it may be). On this years band, they look like St. Aug, and I am so proud to say they sound like St. Aug. This year was great during the football season and the parade season (I never remember lining up in concert formation though). Finally, my nephew is attending St. Aug next year. He wouldn't be going to the school, let alone playing in the band if I had brought up any objection to either to my brother. They are headed in the right direction.
Ray Johnson's position was terminated. Hence, he was cut from the payroll, and all ties to the marching 100 expired (except for those associated w/ the alumni band. Mr Hamp stayed on as Band Director Emeritus (also on the payroll), while Darryl handled the day to day operations of the 100. Mr. Hamp no longer designed drills for Fields (which was also obvious).
As far as Virgil Tiller goes, he's a rediculous arranger, definately has a talent for teaching music theory. In other words he's an outstanding music teacher. He took a band that started from scratch where 80% of the kids never marched or played an instrument before, to have them playing clean, controlled, balanced, and they were sightreading music out the frame. In your right mind, how can you not (mind you Aug wasn't open in 05/06) say that between the 06/07 school year thru 09/10 the band didn't improve to the cleanest, best sounding group in the city? True, they didn't always posess "Tha Knock", but they killed everybody w/ balance and cleanliness. I respect that natural progression, and not quick fixes all for the sake of having bigger numbers.
As far as the reasons why Tiller is no longer at the school, that's between him and the school, same goes for Fields, and Ray. That's Da Aug's bidness.
As far as this year goes (even though you didn't ask), I'll say that...wait...I'm holding that until after the concert.
that is all.
"Skin I'm In" in the stands, sounding like a middle school musically, doing field shows that were not up the the standards of what the "Marching 100" has provided to its fan for the last 50 (since 1960-1st Marching 100) years is not a fiasco. Go and look at the filed shows from his years and look at the filed shows from this year. Night and day.
So giving Mr. Hamp the title of Band Director Emeritus, and hiring a new director and asst. director is not firing someone. When I got to St. Aug as an 8th grader in 97' we had Ray Johnson as our asst. director, he was fired. Then we got Mr. Fields, where the band became re-born to sound and look like a St. Aug band. The administration wanted to get rid of Mr. Hamp during the Rose Bowl run. I remember Mr. Delicia calling it the feather in his cap and a fitting end to his career (all said in a school assembly, followed by boos from the students). You know and I know who should have been the sucessors to the director position at St. Aug after the storm, but another person was chosen.
To address the Tiller fiasco, so you are telling me that playing a raggedy version of
@ C James, alumni you need to get your facts straight, Mr. Hamp was never fired. And, what was the Tiller fiasco?
I heard he has a brass band.