Richie played clarinet and saxophone at Joliet East High School in Illinois, and later played sax for the Commodores before taking over lead vocals.

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1 G.S.B.P.A NEWS G.S.B.P.A NEWS NOVEMBER 2012 IF A MAN DOES NOT KEEP PACE WITH HIS COMPANIONS, PERHAPS IT IS BECAUSE HE HEARS A DIFFERENT DRUMMER ~ HENRY DAVID THOREAU Band Geek to Rock Star Chic It might surprise you to find out which famous musicians got their start highstepping on the football field. Gwen Stefani Gwen Stefani wanted to be in her high school marching band so badly that she lied about being able to play the flute. "I faked it... I played the piccolo fakely, she confessed in an interview. Ke$ha In an interview with Today, Ke$ha talked of her high school days playing trumpet and saxophone in the marching band. It was on the cheesy side, but I played it like it was going out of style, she said. The singer also did her best to defend the nerdy reputation of her fellow band geeks. Marching band kids are crazy, she said. They throw down! Gloria Estefan Long before fronting the Miami Sound Machine, Estefan played clarinet in her school band from the 5th through 8th grades. Lionel Richie Richie played clarinet and saxophone at Joliet East High School in Illinois, and later played sax for the Commodores before taking over lead vocals. Steven Tyler Tyler played in both the concert and marching bands at Roosevelt High School in New York. According to his autobiography, he plays (deep breath) harmonica, hammered dulcimer, piano, drums, percussion, moroccas, guitar, mandolin, violin, flute, mellotron, bass guitar, accordion, saxophone and trumpet. Aretha Franklin According to the book Aretha Franklin: Singer, Franklin joined the school band as a child, but was too late to play the instrument she truly wanted, the flute. Instead, she was given the only instrument left: the tuba. Trent Reznor The future mastermind of Nine Inch Nails spent his formative years playing tuba and saxophone in the jazz and marching bands of Mercer Area Junior and Senior schools in Mercer, Pa. He played tenor sax in the Mighty Mercer Mustang Marching Machine and even won Top Woodwind at one point. Some other former marching band members include Tommy Lee ( drummer for the band Mötley Crüe ), music prodigy Nelly Furtado, Zakk Wylde, Flea (bassists in the Red Hot Chili Peppers ) and Celine Dion.

2 Dates & Times Thursday, November 1, 2012 Tuesday, November 6, 2012 Thursday, November 8, 2012 Monday, November 12, :30 pm Band Parent Meeting Tuesday, November 13, 2012 Thursday, November 15, 2012 Saturday, November 17, 2012 City of Greensburg Holiday Parade Tuesday, November 20,2012 Concert Band Rehearsal 3:00 4:15 pm Thursday, November 22-Monday, November 26, 2012 Thanksgiving Recess Tuesday, November 27,2012 Concert Band Rehearsal 3:00 4:15 pm Thursday, November 29, 2012 SHS County Band The differences between orchestra and concert band There is one very basic difference between these two types of musical ensembles: Instrumentation. A full symphony or philharmonic orchestra usually contains between musicians, strings being the largest group by far, with the violins most often playing the melody. An orchestra of less than about 40 musicians is called a chamber orchestra, but you'll almost never hear about these unless you seek them out on your own. A concert band has the same instruments as an orchestra, except without the huge string section. The number of players is about the same, though, which means expanded brass, woodwind, and percussion sections. There is more opportunity for a wider variety of band musicians to play the melody, therefore allowing many different instrument combinations to be heard. A concert band with a smaller number of musicians is still called a concert band. Most modern concert bands do not use a harp or piano. However, these instruments are sometimes included at the discretion of the conductor, depending on how prominent their parts are. Friday, November 30, 2012 SHS County Band 2 P age

3 Up Coming Fundraisers Fundraiser Starts Ends Stone House Dip Mixes Chick-Fil-A Calendars Pie Shoppe Pies November 6 November 20 November 2 December 21 November 5 November 12 Sub Sale November 17 November 17 Poinsettias November November Sarris Candy December December Sub Sale December 8 December 8 All Sub orders are due 10 days prior to delivery 3 P age

4 What to do with all your free time now that marching band season is over I don t know about that the rest of you, but I finally feel like I can breathe. The dust bunnies that have been hiding all over my house, however, are running scared. Being the parent of a marching band student can feel like a second full time job! Take a minute to pat yourself on the back. It takes a huge commitment from both you and your child to have a successful marching season. Once again I would like to thank our BPA president, Danita Theis. She and her husband John did a whiz bang job, along with Mary Sappol, at running the concession stand this year. Way to go! (Although, I think the parents who worked the little stand with me had more fun ;p ) We would also love to still see you at the band parent meetings. December s meeting will be especially fun. Watch your for your upcoming invite! So sit back and read a book, knit a sweater, or whatever you will do to fill up the empty hours you used to spend freezing in the bleachers or putting hot dogs in buns, but don t forget there are still band activities afoot. ~ Stacie I would like to wish all this year s seniors the very best of luck in the future. You are a terrific bunch of kids, and I know you will succeed in whatever you choose to do! I would also like to extend my thanks to Mrs. West and her staff for all their hard work. The kids looked great on the field, and as an eighties baby myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the music selection! Now that you won t be at the school three days a week, don t forget that we still have lots of fundraising opportunities. I will continue to post them in each newsletter. Spring trip will be here faster than you know it. 4 P age

5 G.S.B.P.A NEWS NOVEMBER 2012 Stacie Driscoll 5 P age