
Dangit, I think it's too small to read the text.
This is from Oct 30, 1938 Dallas Morning News.
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Old DMN ArticlesModerators: PonyPride, SmooPower
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Old DMN ArticlesSorry if this pic is huge, just trying this out:
![]() Dangit, I think it's too small to read the text. This is from Oct 30, 1938 Dallas Morning News. Sent from my Motorola brick.
Text from above article (because I'm bored and I love you guys that much):
Hymn tempo distinguished the original Mustang Band at SMU in 1923. It had been preceded by an orchestra in 1917, a student voluntary band in 1921, and a mandolin club in 1922. Those were the days before Peruna Jazz whooped through the air at football games and the Hilltop's musicians skyrocketed into national prominence. V. Cyrus Barcus, Dixieland music exponent, began leading the organization in 1924. He introduced the scream chorus of Peruna, the school pep song, and originated the jazz-legitimate music controversy for athletic contests. Before an approving audience at the SMU-Army game at West Point in 1929, the Mustang Band began its climb to national fame. Trips to other intersectional games added to its glory, climaxed by a coast-to-coast concert tour in the summer of 1935. Swing music dominated when SMU won the Rose Bowl invitation at the conclusion of the 1935 football season. The band participated in the ensuing Tournament of Roses at Pasadena, Calif., after playing a record-breaking week in the Los Angeles Paramount Theater. Jitterbug-jam replaced swing music when Frank Malone, youthful ace arranger, ascended to the directorship of the band 1937. Arrangers restocked its library with up-to-the-minute music. The band began to mix classical concerts with the annual Pigskin Revue, appearances at athletic contests and radio broadcasts. Composed of versatile, able musicians, the Mustang Band has arrived. Symphonic swing will be featured on its program Friday night in the annual Pigskin Revue at McFarlin Auditorium. IN THE PICTURES: 1. All twenty-seven members of the band turned out on the day they received their first uniforms, which were sweaters, to have this picture made in 1928 just before they made a widely heralded trek to West Point. Director Barcus had just finished weaning it off the previous hymn style. 2. Its first real uniforms, presented to the band in 1929 by the SMU Mothers Club, found it grown to a forty-two-piece musical aggregation of considerable accomplishment. 3. On the deck of the liner President Polk in San Fransisco harbor in 1933, when the band made another successful trip, the camera caught Director Robert Goodrich, left, as he discussed a new arrangement with Thomas Johnson, director-to-be, and Forrest Clough, right, trumpet soloist who saw more service and traveled more miles with the band than has any other member to date. 4. On the concert tour of 1935, the band's showmanship was outstanding. Mr. Johnson, leader that year, directs the group on the Los Angeles stage. Many of the men in this, as well as others of the changing generations of the band, have achieved prominence in the musical world. 5. As Gracie Allen welcomed the band to Hollywood and to one of filmdom's major factories in 1937, the band serenaded her, with Peruna II, tiny Mustang mascot, looking on. 6. In a hot jam session, a group of the boys, self-styled the Merry Mad Mustang Music Makers, cut a jitterbug rug pattern as they get ready for the forthcoming performance. 7. Previewing a sample of the new uniforms which public-spirited citizens are purchasing for the band is its youthful director, Frank Malone, who has grown up with the band during the past seven years. An honor graduate of North Dallas High School, he wrote the Mustang Band's first swing arrangement of Peruna when he was only 15 years old. Sent from my Motorola brick.
Found a pic of our band, I think the beginning of the 1935 season at UCLA. The Mustang Band is in the bottom left. Looks like maybe Peruna is there with them, kinda hard to tell though. Uniforms look sharper than the UCLA band's.
![]() Sent from my Motorola brick.
Well, I think that was just a different time altogether. Kids played an instrument at an early age, often more out of school than in school bands. It wasn't the structured (often competitive) music education formula we have in today's schools. Plus, swing/dixieland/big band music was THE pop music of the day.
The only thing I can think to compare it to would be current 3 or 4 piece rock bands. I'm sure every major guitarist/bassist/drummer started out in some sort of garage band and then just worked their way up. Sure, some of them were in school bands probably, but it's what they did at home that made them learn their instrument. The only difference is back in the 30's, it was kids playing sax or trumpet or trombone. Sent from my Motorola brick.
But yes, SMU needs to help the band do what it can to be "top 25" as well, if that's the goal.
As an afterthought, did you know that USC's band hasn't missed an away game in like 20-30 years? Even if it's only sending 10-15 members, someone's paying to have them playing at every stinkin' game. Sent from my Motorola brick.
Fixed it. Don't know how they overlooked that one.
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