From the Archives...

This is the first in an occasional series of pictures from the DHS Band archives. Next fall, we at Deerfield High School will be celebrating our 50th anniversary as a school, so I thought it would be fun to look at some of our past history. Our first picture, from April 1971, is a great one for many reasons (besides all of the Marcia Brady hairdos):

(click on the image to see full size)

First, the conductor is Al Spriester, who was the Director of Bands (and orchestras for a time) from the early 1960s until his retirement in 1986. He built this program and nurtured it through its early years, initiating series of guest artist performances and even taking the band to Springfield to play for the inauguration of the governor in 1974.

Second, the picture shows the first band room, M106, our home from 1960 to 2002. The walls here are a dark color, brown I would guess, but by the time I arrived in 1988, they were an institutional beige. Those open shelved storage areas were a problem because not only did they look sloppy, but they encouraged theft. We lost more than a few mouthpieces and small instruments before the school had them gutted in favor of individual lockers. By the time we moved out, they were starting to fall apart.

You can also see that the room was tiered. The percussion area on the top was famously crowded, and it was difficult moving instruments on and off the risers. When we had just two bands, the Symphonic Band got to be about 75-strong, and it was so packed that we split the band into two separate groups in 1998, creating the Wind Ensemble. Once we got the new room in 2002, it was no longer an issue, but all three bands were averaging 40-55 players, so there was no reason to go back to two ensembles.

I'm pretty sure the floor was still tile. The room had a low ceiling, and it must have been dangerously loud in there, especially for marching band rehearsals. It was carpeted in 1987, and since the students used to eat lunch during band class, there were a number of spectacular drink spills that created enough stains that I banned colored drinks from the room. When we learned the carpet was going to be removed for asbestos abatement over the summer, I lifted the ban on the first day of fourth quarter. I very ceremoniously opened a can of Pepsi in front of the band, took a long sip, and then carefully poured a healthy amount on the carpet. It was a joyous day for all.

M106 and the choir room just opposite are now a study hall/detention rooms. The office suite and K116 (the old music theory/jazz band room) were made into part of the bookstore, and our beloved tuba room and uniform room became theatre storage. I love our current spaces in R-hall, but it's fun to reminisce about the funky areas that housed DHS music for 40 years!