By Sherry Larson
People’s Defender
There may not have been 76 trombones when the West Union High School’s marching band started 40 years ago. A young Roger Whitacre was Band Director, and his buddy and newly hired Choir Director Carl Schneider, his right-hand man, were determined to organize and direct the newly formed band. Whitacre said, “It was a small group, and there were a lot of talented musicians, so we had a good base.”
Whitacre, Schneider, and Schneider’s wife, Nancy, attended Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio. Whitacre met Schneider while marching in the Drum and Bugle Corps. Whitacre was already leading the band in West Union when Schneider graduated and started looking for a job. Whitacre suggested he apply for the open Choir Director position at Manchester High School. Once Schneider landed the job, he and Whitacre became roommates. At the time, Schneider was dating his soon-to-be wife, Nancy, and she secured a position in elementary music in Blue Creek. The three were close and even lived in the same building.
Whitacre explained that he and Carl imagined starting a marching band. Since there wasn’t a football team, the marching band would be a competition band. That dream gained loads of interest and supporters, so the two directors set out to determine logistics. Whitacre said, “We got excited about it and started putting the wheels in motion. We talked to the band boosters, and it gained a lot of steam.”
The marching band’s first practice field was behind the Lafferty Funeral Home in West Union. Whitacre recalls about 40 eighth – 12th graders in the band and several girls who marched in the flag corp. He and Schneider trained both.
“We had the most horrendous uniforms,” said Whitacre, “they were old, wool, and heavy.” The boosters held a fundraiser so the band could don new uniforms. The group attended their first camp at Wilmington College in Pennsylvania. Whitacre shared that only two of their students had marched on a football field, and that’s because they transferred from other schools. Whitacre said, “We literally started the whole band from scratch – they had no idea what they were getting into.”
The band learned to march in formation, make curves and lines, and set out for their first “novice class” competition in Mason County, Kentucky. All the competing bands had marched on football fields at halftime shows except West Union. Whitacre remembers when field commander Cindy Patrick gave the command to start, there was dead silence. He thought, “Holy cow, they’re not even going to play.” The little marching band seemed petrified by the vast football field and watchful eyes in the stands. Little by little, they started to play and made it through the performance.
Whitacre relays, “That first show, we came in last place in every single category – but it was a start.” Cindy Patrick (now Banfield) recalled, “As the new field commander of the West Union High School Band, I knew we had talented musicians in the band. I think we were all super nervous about the first competition.” She continued, “I gave the signal to raise our instruments and the count off – it seemed like we all forgot what we were doing next. I looked at Lisa Underwood, an awesome trumpet player, and somehow, we started the music. We actually performed well, considering we were all terrified.”
The second show was better, and the rookie marching band eventually took first place in their last performance of the season. Whitacre said, “It was quite a season – how far we came from starting from scratch to that point.”
Pong Basa, another member of that first marching band, said, “Mr. Whitacre bolding started a marching band program without a football team. That year was the first of many which helped build the performing arts programs that exist today.”
Whitacre left at the end of that school year, leaving the newly formed marching band in the capable hands of Schneider. Whitacre said, “I knew they were in good hands. They grew and grew because he (Schneider) has a knack, he really does well, and he has these big ideas.”
Two reunion events are planned for Saturday, June 3 at West Unio High S. From 1 – 3 p.m., the original members of the first marching band and their families will gather in the high school’s perchoolforming arts room. From 3 – 5 p.m., all marching band members from all years and their families are welcome to join them on the east lawn outside the performing arts room (weather permitting). Snacks and drinks will be provided as attendees reminisce through videos, talks, and presentations by former band directors and marching members. The reunion will continue in the cafeteria if the weather is inclement.
Whitacre is happy about what he and Schneider started those 40 years ago. A marching band perseveres together and must be one out on the field. The marching band disbanded when the new West Union High School campus did not include a practice field. But the ever-innovative Carl Schneider continues the charge, and the music program has evolved into an inclusive performing arts department – marching to a different tune.
