—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 3,1979 128 FFA band plans musical variety KANSAS CITY, Mo.— This Fall 88 members of the Future Fanners of America will double as musicians when the FFA Band comes together to perform at the National Convention. The band members are chosen from over 500 applicants representing 42 states. After two days of intense practice, the band will perform at all eight sessions of the con vention. The National FFA Band is being sponsored by the Carnation Company of Los Angeles, California, this year, as a special project of the National FFA Foun dation, Inc. The National FFA Band was first organized in 1947. Since that time competition for the honor of playing in the band has steadily increased. Under the direction of Roger Heath, former Director of California Polytechnic State University Bands, the FFA Band has gained a reputation for its polished performances even though bandsmen have only two days of practice together prior to their first per formance. Heath, now in his eleventh year as director of the National FFA Band, was presented the FFA Honorary American Fanner Degree in recognition of his dedicated service to the FFA. “Band members are selected on the basis of tape L H. BRUBAKER, INC. Lancaster, PA 717-397-5179 C. J. WONSIDLER BROS. Rt. 309 & 100 R 2 New Tripoli, PA 18066 215-767-7611 BHM FARM EQUIPMENT, INC. Annville, RDI, PA 717-867-2211 ROY H. BUCK, INC. Ephrata, RD 2 717-859-2441 CJ. WONSIDLER BROS. RDI, Quakertown, PA 18951 215-536-1935 215-536-7523 WERTZ GARAGE Lineboro, MD 301-374-2672 recorded auditions or competitive auditions in their State FFA Band with supporting recom mendations from their high school band directors,” explains Heath who spends many hours during the summer selecting FFA members to fill the 88-piece band. In addition, all ap plicants are required to list their musical experience and activities such as solo and ensemble per formances, special honors and special experience such as drum majoring or baton twirling. Chris KUnedinst of Wrightsville, Pa. was chosen to play the baritone. Chris and other FFA members who play in the band will arrive in Kansas City on Sunday before the convention starts so they can begin practicing. “Although we sometimes send band members the more difficult music ahead of time, it still takes a lot of practice to get ready for our first con vention hall performance on Wednesday morning,” says Heath. “We will spend many hours over the preceding weekend practicing the music and working out marching style,” he ex plains. “We’ll also practice all Monday and Tuesday, and the rest of the week we’ll keep in shape by short practice sessions and con cert performances.” Two other men, Phillip D. A RtingPower A nnmiing £\ ALLIS-CHALMERS Wharton and Roland Rutz will assist Heath with the Band. Rutz of the Mon tgomery Public Schools in Montgomery, Minnesota, will assist Heath in practice sessions working with the brass, woodwind and per cussion instruments. Wharton, who is Director of Bands at Lake Gibson High School, Lakeland, Florida, will serve as assistant director. Dominican official tours Sussex County LAUREL, Del. - A senior civil servant from Dominica, Sylvester Joseph, Per manent Secretary for Local Government and Com munity Development, recently vxsisted Sussex county as an official guest of die University of Delaware. Joseph, whose 300 square mile, 80,000 population West Indian island nation became independent of Great Britain m 1976, toured Blades, Laurel, and Delmar to hear about die Delaware Ex tension Service’s community resource development work with local governments. Dominica, which is largely agricultural, is exploring the possibility of setting up local governments in the near future. Under the British GRUMELLI FARM SERVICE Quarryville, PA 717-786-7318 PETERMAN FARM EQUIPMENT, INC. 225 York Road Carlisle, PA 717-249-5338 SHARTLESVILLE FARM SERVICE RDI Hamburg, PA 215-488-1025 H Daniel Wenger, Prop AG. - INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT R 2, Rising Sun, MD 301-658-5568 AIRVILLE FARM SERVICE Hwy 74, Airville, PA 717-862-3358 A. J. MOSS & SON, INC. RD2, Oley, PA 215-987-6257 During the convention week the FFA Band will play at seven sessions. “We’ll play a wide variety of music,” says Heath, “in cluding inarches, rock tunes, selections from Broadway musicals, serious music, and mood music. We’ll also have some of the latest hits, ” adds Heath, who likes to “think >roung” when planning nusic for the youthful ■onvention crowd. system, most decisions had been made on the national level. The official also established contact with agencies that might provide disaster relief to the island, which was devastated by Hurricane David. At the same time, his observations of a Sussex mobile home park and county homes with window solar units gave him ideas for rebuilding. Sylvester’s visit was arranged under the auspices of the U.S. Agency for In ternational Development and the Center for In ternational Studies at the Cornell University. In the U.S., 60 million drink water with fluoride added to the supply to prevent tooth decay. Kmpco heaters warm bams,' workshops, garages, or any other well ventilated, unheated work area Kmpco has a full line of portable, oil-fired heaters ranging from 30,000 to 150,000 Btu output All use low-cost kerosene or #1 fuel oil Just plug into any standard grounded electrical outlet for instant heat For a free demonstra tion, see your Kmpco dealer today ★ ALL MODELS IN STOCK ★ FARMERSVILLE EQUIPMENT INC. 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