Band News - Special Edition "Thanks to many!"

Dear Students, Parents, Faculty, and Staff

As the WSHS Marching Band just came off of a successful first outing at the University of Oregon’s “Festival of Bands” on October 6th, and again preparing for this week’s PCI at Willamette University, I wanted to make a separate and special edition for something that would be too long for our normal newsletter. But as we approach our 2nd competition this weekend, I felt the below should be seen by as many readers as possible as to what goes on behind the scenes of a successful program. Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this special edition.

I have attempted to compile this from input from as many of the team leads as possible, but please blame ME if someone gets omitted. The below do not appear in any particular order and I want to apologize in advance for any omissions or names forgotten. But this is an amazing group of parents and volunteers (AND students already working at their position in the band) that work FOR the musicians and the music directors’ mission.

While I compile the rest of this week’s regular newsletter, please read as much as you can of those that contribute continually. I know this is long, but I’ve probably STILL missed some folks.

Jesse Seeley
WSHS Band Newsletter Editor

Behind Every Successful Program is. . .
(Contributors: Kami Hettwer, Vickie Tuttle, Patricia Nielsen, Jen Freeman, Jesse Seeley, Mary Eastman, and others)
. . . a bunch of dedicated, responsible, prompt, unselfish, and giving people. Some might refer to them as parents, or students, or simply volunteers — some aren’t even parents, but grandparents of a child in the band while others USED to have a child in the band but continue to volunteer. But without these dedicated people most of the marching band activities would be NEARLY impossible to pull off. The directors and marching band members have pulled off an INCREDIBLE showing on just this first competition! The event at U of O was just a sampling of the great work the Marching Band can do and they’re only getting better. But for all that hard work that THEY have put in, there are nearly just as many people in various activities “behind the scenes” that go on (went on) when nobody was looking. Some “thank you” notes have already gone out, but this article will attempt to acknowledge as many of those helpers as possible.

Note from Co-Chair Vickie Tuttle: “From venue and site setup to uniform preparations, food acquisition and preparation to carpentry and painting with the addition of "Huge" props the tasks before the logistics team is not an easy one. Each year our volunteer base grows and we will continue to strive to get each and every parent involved. We will continue to face challenges and problems and as we learn from them we will no doubt be an unbeatable team. I want to recognize the exhausting efforts of each and every one of you.”

Props are not just found on airplanes—For literally WEEKS in advance of this first competition there was a HUGE workload with the new addition of the “gears” – those props in the background that are turning (no pun intended) out to play quite an integral part to the “Green Machine” theme. Normally the “thank yous” are saved up for a year-end ceremony, but we wanted to take this opportunity to thank as many of the parents, students, their friends, and other family members that help keep the music playing. In many cases, the students mentioned are ALSO band members, so double-duty is acknowledged to them. Because of this type of “thank you event” we will no doubt forget someone, but it is purely accidental as there are just SO MANY contributors. Please also forgive any possible mis-spellings. . . Let’s think of these as those credits that roll after each movie—LOTS of them. The musicians are the stars of the show, but there is a tremendous back lot crew.

The below people have helped on props, uniforms, cooks, logistics, labor, and overall coordination of events. Since the gear props have been such a huge undertaking, they are getting top billing here as this has been a wildly HUGE and successful task:

Prop Work Days and Helpers
(By Kami Hettwer)
Over multiple days, afternoons, some weekends, and other days, work that started on August 31 and up to last minute changes to adjust “real time” to make the props fit through the stadium tunnel at U of O, the below list of people were instrumental in helping with the various tasks from measuring, drilling, assembly, painting, parts runners, and a multitude of other tasks. Some days were as long as 11 hours!

One note here (again, no pun intended J), SEVERAL musicians added to their “Music Day” hours and contributed to the prop project after the morning of going door-to-door. We’d love to single THEM out as going above and beyond, but the list is again exhaustive, but big time KUDOS to those students and musicians! Below, co-chair Kami Hettwer adds her thanks to those involved with the gears made on the prop project:

A big thank you to all of those that helped with the wonderful props that are adding the desired visuals to the “Green Machine”. Again, please accept our apologies if we missed anyone, but let me (mkhett@aol.com) know and I will make certain your names get added/mentioned in another newsletter article as well. Many of the names appearing below did “double duty” and on multiple days—SOME of those 10-12 hour workdays as well! Appearing alphabetically by first name:
Armando Guevara
Debbie Harris
Kylie Phillips
Paige Stanley
Ashely Gresley
Eli Heidi
Leanne Wilson
Randy Rothweiler
Ashlyn Rees
Gilmore family
Lindsay Leaman
Rock Brutton
Becky Griffiths
Gustavo Guevara
Logan Gilmore
Rosalyn Whitby
Brendan Pavelek
Hailey Hill
Lynn Eaton
Ryan Rothweiler
Cheri Harris
Jesse Cummins
Maria Weir
Sam Rothweiler
Cheryl Harris
Jim Mitchell
Marty Stipe
Spencer Muller
Clay Dennis
Joanna Cuellar
Michael Fifer
Steve Anderson
Connie Phillips
Joel Eaton
Mike Winager
Vickie Tuttle
Craig Urbani
Kami Hettwer
Myles Wittman
Cristin Wilson
Katelyn Nichols
Nick Schmidt
Daron Hill
Katherine Lownsbery
Nolan Fridley

One final category in the “Props” section of BIG TIME help at the practices and “game day”, the “Prop Personnel Chaperones.” A big thank you for all your assistance in coordinating:
Connie Phillips
Tari Sutton

Editor’s Note: Finally, but still in the “props” section (that’s how BIG of a gig this was folks) without the tireless efforts of the coordinators and leaders on this task that also were labor-intensive contributors, NONE of this would have been possible. A special thanks to those:
Randy Rothweiler
Mike Hettwer
Sam Rothweiler
Kami Hettwer

If you’re wondering, “Hey! What about those kids that turn the gears?” Well, since they are technically part of the “band,” they will get their own feature in a newsletter very soon. The above “thank you” goes out to those just getting them READY to spin J Quite the large undertaking indeed! Thanks again to one and all that contributed to this HUGE project.

Uniform Preparation—Heading up this team, Patricia Nielsen and Deanna Garney have been doing such an outstanding job, the uniforms look like they just get there by themselves. So many people stopped by to help and many of the names and faces were not remembered, but the help was appreciated. But some of the extras we know about:
Link Watson (seems to be everywhere)
Gabi Mitchem (Guard mom pulling double duty)
Marianne Stipe (ditto on “appears everywhere!”)
Liz Harris
Vickie Narkon (another ditto on “appears everywhere!”)
Many, many unnamed students
Trudy McKinnel (double duty on props)
Deryl Nielsen (“Drill Instructor” for boys’)

But wait! There’s more! We just can’t let the first successful outing go without notice to the crews and personnel, so please read on for the staff of volunteers that made other parts of this show simply, well, FANTASTIC!

Flags don’t fly by themselves J --The Guard’s fabulous placement in their first competition could not have been possible without the SERIOUS rush job of sewing and tailoring of not only the flags, but the costumes of the Guard as well. Working as a team the below folks brought this together is a very timely manner with the odds of meeting the deadline against them. Part of the trophy that the Guard won is directly correlated with your outstanding work!
Denise Gilmore
Stacy Larson
Koren Landfair
Aurora Cuellar
Kate Ahmad
Debbie Davis
Debbie Harris
Alyson Baker

How does the entire band’s base camp just seem to happen?
Simply put in a single word: LOGISTICS. And what an amazing group of parents this band has in the logistical setup of the base camp. The Marching Band simply shows up and their stuff is just there waiting for them, making a seamless appearance as if it were a teleport on an episode of Star Trek. We know the band doesn’t take this for granted (well, maybe some of them do J), but this event is executed by the veterans that are now into their 3rd and 4th year of making it happen and they do indeed.

Again, we’re certain to miss some people, but it is because there are just TOO MANY to remember in one fell swoop. Some just showed up, others have been doing this year after year. We work so fast at some of these tasks that we even forget each other’s names J Here are just SOME of the people responsible for providing their vehicles, trailers, driving time, labor, and setup at the events.

Veteran logistics experts of the Narkon Family (Vickie and Mike) have been offering their personal racing trailer for the last three years. With the all important and delicate transportation of the percussion pit instruments, each piece of equipment is secured down for the trip so no damage to an instrument is possible. The Narkon family is also the supplier of the two HUGE tents at the competition sites, as well as lighting, and heat and electricity generation. I hope I didn’t miss anything, but I certainly didn’t want to miss thanking the Narkons for their contributions and hard work.

Another veteran of the logistics gig is Clay Dennis who supplies that HUGE 26-foot truck that transports every other piece imaginable to the band. This includes the cases and cases of instruments, the uniform closets, tables and chairs for the dining room at the base camp, and many other integral portions of the entire band’s existence.

Yet another veteran to the logistics mission is the Moyer family (Garry and Penny) and the transportation of his personal trailer that gets all of those tents to each venue. With a crew of many, volunteers arrange to meet Garry and his trailer to where he leads the crew to set-up of the multitude of tents and other portions of the band’s camp and headquarters. Sleep deprivation prevailed this past U of O (and a few of last year’s) performance where the crews had to leave at 5 a.m. (even in military terms, that means “zero-dark-thirty” J). At press time I did not have a complete list of laborers, but a few of the veterans include:
Steve Anderson
“Bob” Weir (I think that’s his last name)
Kurt Wittman
. . . and a cast of many more that make the tent city happen with names that I can’t remember or need to be provided to me

As a rookie into the logistics field please welcome the contributions of the Gilmore Family (Orval and Denise). They too have supplied a personal trailer and transportation of the newest addition of the Gear Props. For without this additional trailer and transportation, the props would have had a difficult time working their way into the existing logistics used over the previous years.

Food, Cooks, Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate and the comforts of home—this is certainly not a case of too many cooks spoil the broth here at these huge events of feeding the hundreds of band members, volunteers, and even the stray WSHS alumni that show up. Veterans Mary Eastridge and Craig Urbani provided the lead behind the wheel of the mess hall and several other parents that helped, and I know I’ve probably left off some names, but the parents we do recall are, in no particular order:
Debbie Davis
Mikayla Wittman
Analida Wertz
Vicky Narkon
Patty Bolstad
Analida Wertz
Pam Wittman
Connie Phillips
Kurt Wittman
Sam ?? (A MOM)
Michelle Robinson
Trudy Mc Kinnell

There are a BUNCH of contributors also out front that also help on one or more of the activities and may have been missed from one of the above lists. They would include:
Liz Harris
Jackie and Von Maltzen
Sharon Ringeisen
Michelle Winegar
John and Linda Burr
Jim Mitchell
Daron Hill
Samantha Rothweiler
Connie Phillips
Rebecca Griffiths
Cecelia Urbani
Leigh Weir

Finally, the “gigan-tas-mosis” of all of this coordination is the up-front and hard work of this year’s co-chairs:
Kami Hettwer and Vickie Tuttle

Of which going without mention would be a true injustice. And last but not least, a big thanks of course to the maestros:
Dr. Ike Nail
Mr. Brian Griffiths
Mr. Alan Keown

They will be personally acknowledging their staffs for the pit, field, and guard orchestrations at the awards ceremony next month.

In closing, I would like to personally thank my wife (Monique), for allowing me to put off many other duties as she remains a “band widow” and running the Seeley household during all of these band events that I find time for.

Jesse Seeley
WSHS Band Newsletter Editor