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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.
Among the musicians shown above are, at top right, trombonists (left to right) Bob Huxol (junior, lead), Billy Barnes (freshman, second), and David Baker (senior, third, playing valve trombone).
In front of the trombones are (left to right), Glen Newton (junior, lead trumpet), Tony Wood (junior, second cornet), Kurt Freiberg (freshman, third trumpet), and Steve Winter (freshman, fourth cornet).
Senior Dick Gray plays the piano, junior John King is at the drum set, and sophomore Glen Corrie plays the string bass parts on the school's new recording bell tuba. Director Aldie Long established a rule that only band members could play in the stage band, but he had to relax the rule to find piano players for the stage band in 1963 through 1965.
Behind the saxophones is guitarist Helmut Doring, an exchange student from Germany, who played alto sax in the concert band. This was the only year (through at least 1966) the stage band had a full-time guitarist because it was difficult to find students who had both the skill and the interest in playing guitar in the stage band. Because Helmut was available to play it, Glen included a guitar part in his arrangement of "Washington Square," mimicking the original version that begins with a brief guitar solo before the banjo (played by Glen in the 1964 Band Follies) comes in with the melody.
The saxophonists are probably (right to left), senior Karol Kraas, lead alto; freshman Willie Fickes, lead alto and clarinet; senior Sue Bowden, tenor; senior Jim Braendle, alto; senior Sandy Keen, tenor; possibly freshman Joyce Turner, baritone.
Several of the selections had violin parts, which the flutists played. Freshman Carol Montgomery is the flutist at the right.