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The Big Rapids High School stage band shown above was carrying on a long stage band tradition started by band director Aldie Long.
Seventh grader Tony Wood tap dances in front of the band on stage at BRHS. Tony learned tap dancing from his mother, who was also the choreographer and dance teacher for some of the girls' dance lines that performed in the Band Follies.
In the trumpet section, the three at the right side of the front row share the first trumpet parts: freshman Lois Lane, seventh grader Glen Newton, and senior John Pratt (resting). Next to John, junior Chuck Hitch and eighth grader David Andresen play second, and on the top row freshmen Tom Rundquist and Mike Freeland play third. Most of the music the band played did not have a fourth trumpet part.
The saxophone section includes junior Marilyn Kraas, alto, and Pat Bouwman, tenor, among others. Freshman JoAnne Donley might be playing alto or baritone sax. Senior Kurt Franck, next to Marilyn, plays the violin parts on his flute.
The trombone section includes senior Doug Randolph and sophomores Roland Wisner and Bob Corsaut.
Sophomore Ann Magee plays piano and senior Dean Martin is at the drum set. String bassist Gordy LaVere (a sousaphone player in the concert band) seems to have stepped out.
A 1960 Band Follies vocal group that made a big impression on Glen was the barbershop quartet, comprised of first chair cornetist Marland Ream (bass), trombonists Jerry Smith (baritone) and Ron Muse (lead), and clarinetist Lee Fickes (tenor)). Their a capella renditions of "Coney Island Baby" and "I'll Be with You in Apple Blossom Time" were Glen's first exposure to traditional barbershop harmony. They even exhibited a bit of humor into their rehearsals, introducing the latter song by singing their initial chord notes, from top to bottom: "Apple, apple, apple, worm". (They omitted this in performance, because it invariably made them laugh so much that they had a hard time singing the song.)