updated: 3/14/09
Dalton High School Band Alumni Register
Welcome to our newest alumni members: Lawrence Brownlee (1993), Jeff Miller (2000), Cynthia Langford Phillips (1977), Christmas Tillotson (1989), Ronnie Gaddis (1969), George Perantatos (1997). [new entries listed in red below]
|
GRAD YEAR |
NAME | INSTRUMENT | CURRENT HOME | OCCUPATION | FONDEST DHS BAND MEMORY | |
| 1969 | Ronnie Gaddis | Tuba | Dalton, GA | Director of Bands at New Hope Middle School in Dalton, GA |
Greatest Band in Dixie 1966 and 1965,
President Johnson's inaugural parade 1964
|
crgaddis@gmail.com |
| 1974 | Beverly Marshall Garrett | Flute | Dalton, GA | ESOL Teacher at Antioch Elementary |
The MANY band contests that we won!! Straw Hats and being "The Greatest Band in Dixie" |
|
| 1976 | Alan Black | Trumpet | Dalton, GA | Working From Home | My fondest memory is of the 1976 Desoto National Championship (Although there are several) | |
| 1976 | Deena Marshall Williams | Clarinet | Marietta, GA | Bookkeeper @ Osborne High School | Marching on Friday nights. | |
| 1976 | David Meltzer | Drum Line | Atlanta, GA | management and technology consultant | Fondest DHS memory – Building the 1st true corps style drum line in 76 – We drafted woodwind players to play bass drums and cymbals. We helped set the table for many years of strong drum lines. I still remember my 1st band camp, and my last performance in Bradenton. | |
|
1976 |
Faith Stephens Gillespie |
French Horn / Flugelhorn / F-Trumpet |
Dalton, GA |
Financial Manager; Southeastern Materials & Talley Construction - Rossville, GA |
(1) "Casey Jones" solo group; (2) 1976 Bradenton trip, complete with the "horse poop" parade; (3)Concert Band performance of "1812 Overture", complete with exploding latex barrels (you just HAD to be there!!) |
|
| 1977 | Kendall Marshall | Trumpet | Dalton, GA | Sales - Halcyon Shades | ||
| 1977 | Jim O'Donnell | Trombone | Columbus, GA | Senior Test Analyst, TSYS /// Drum Corps Nut | a) Concert performance of "Sleigh Ride" when the "whip crack" sound device started breaking apart, showering the band and audience with wood chips with every crack, b) Watching audiences at away games head towards the concessions at half time, only to rush back to their seats when we fired off the starting line (remember Avondale when we played "Pictures of Spain"?), c) Melvin Morgan's comment after a flat run-through of our entrance - "That might have placed 2nd at the Edison Festival of Light" (NW Whitfield had just come back from accomplishing that task) - that ended the flat run-throughs, d) Winning the 1976 Desoto Nationals in Bradenton (South Cobb looked unbeatable in parade and we took 'em down, then we won prelims and finals by 3 points, both nights!), e) The Bradenton homecoming at midnight when the citizens of Dalton lined Walnut Avenue and the streets all the way back to the old high school campus in an awesome welcome home celebration. f) 200 white shoes against black pants in a full knee lift, and NO phasing!!! (that made the circle drill at the end of each rehearsal worth the sweat) |
sun.moon.stars@att.net |
| 1977 |
Cynthia Langford Phillips |
? | Columbus, GA |
Firm Administrator - Albright, Fortenberry & Ninas CPAs |
I only got to march with the band my freshman year (we moved away) but it is one of my fondest memories of high school. The feeling of knowing you were the best when you lined up and marched on the field was awesome. I still get goose bumps thinking about it. Case Jones, I can still hear that tune!! |
clpncsg@bellsouth.net |
| 1978 | Lisa Bacon Hackney | Flute / Assistant Drum Major / Field Captain | Dalton, GA | Challenge Social Studies Teacher / Dalton Middle School | All of it! I wouldn't trade a minute. | |
| 1978 | David Henry | F-trumpet / Flugelhorn / French Horn | Dalton, GA | DHS Band Director |
(1) Crowd reaction at Harmon Field the first time they saw Chattanooga Choo-Choo and the "smoke"; (2) 1975 Washington trip (even though I forgot my uniform pants); (3) 1976 Fountain City competition (Columbus, GA): AAAA winner - Dalton, AAA winner - Northwest Whitfield, AA winner - Murray Co. (I found it interesting that 3 bands that close together won their classes at a contest so far away); (4) 1976 Bradenton trip (member); (5) 1980 Bradenton trip (instructor); (6) 2004 coming back to Dalton |
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| 1979 | Hugh Burns | Trumpet / "played" Fire
Extinguisher for Spring 1979 competition ("Casey Jones") |
Marietta, GA | Working as a software
developer & playing lots of golf at Cartersville CC. |
Fondest memories of band revolve around football games, particularly away games. | |
| 1979 | Tracy Henton Carter | Flute | Tierra Verde, FL | Regional Sales Manager | Thursday Night Band Practices at the Football Field. |
tracy.carter@gwl.com |
| 1979 | Mike Langley | Trumpet | Rocky Face, GA | Owner of MALMAR Properties LLC. ( real estate investing) and Agent for Morgan & Associates Realty LLC | My Fondest memories in the band was winning the Desoto Championship In Bradenton Fl. Thursday night practices, All the hard work that set us apart from the competition, Melvin Morgan occasionally throwing his conductors baton at us if we didn't do it just right! |
realtor04@charter.net |
| 1980 | Kevin Mullinax | Clarinet | Mableton, GA | Customer Service Representative at Logisticare | My most fond band memory had to be the Bradenton trip. It was really very enjoyable, although I can say I thoroughly enjoyed most of my time in the band. |
kmullinax44@gmail.com |
| 1981 | Randy Cashon | Trumpet | Ringgold, GA | Systems Software Engr. CIM Group - Shaw Industries Inc. | Thursday night practices, football games on Friday night, and of course the march into a stadium to enter a competition. |
rcashon@charter.net |
| 1981 | Jeff Parrott | Trumpet | Dalton, GA | Dir CIM for Shaw Industries, Inc. | 1980 Desoto Grand National Champs in Bradenton FL by winning 1st place in both field show and parade competitions. |
jeffparrott@chartertn.net |
| 1982 | Alan Armstrong | Trumpet | Newnan, GA | Director of Bands, Northgate High School |
(1) Desoto Nationals Performance, 1980... (not really realizing what we'd done till years later); (2) Hearing Dave Henry had taken the job at Dalton, knowing more kids would have the same chances so many of us all had. |
nhsalan@gmail.com |
| 1982 | Carey Cline | Flute / Colorguard | Atlanta, GA | IBM Integrated Supply Chain Sarbanes-Oxley Focal | (1) FINALLY having enough seniority to ride on Bus 1; (2) All the football games; (3) The bees at band camp; (4) Thursday night practices; (5) The friends and the hanging out we did together. |
clcline@comcast.net |
| 1982 | Kelly Marshall | Percussion | Tallahassee, FL | Sales - Shaw Industries | Pep Sessions and Friday night football games. |
marshallpartyof5@earthlink.net |
| 1982 | Jeff Pritchard | Trombone, Bass Trombone, Baritone, Tuba | Varnell, GA | Private Investigator; Owner of Quantum Investigative Services, Inc. | In particular, winning Bradenton in 1980. I believe at the time we were the only band to have won that competition twice. |
qis@alltel.net |
| 1983 | MaryBeth Henry Dailey | Mellophone | Marietta, GA | 2nd grade teacher for Gwinnett County Schools | How do you pick one? I'd have to say the whole band standing on the field at the Bradenton, Florida contest in 1980, waiting for the winner to be announced ... hearing our name ... marching off and going nuts once we were off the field. Also ... that first football game in 1980 (we were on Greyhounds) ... it stormed and game eventually was stopped. We did not get to march...sat in the luggage racks and had a good time. Also meeting at the Jr. High and marching up the hill to Harmon Field doing the arm swing. Boy that mellophone case got heavy! Performing "Little Bunny Foo Foo" at Freshman Follies with Sherry Johnson, Rebecca Biron, and Lee Abernathy was probably my worst memory! HAHA |
maymay1@bellsouth.net |
| 1983 | Shannon Looper Nichols | Flute | Rome, GA | stay-at-home mom for 18 years; now that & Exercise Science major | My fondest memory would have to be winning the National Competition in Bradenton or Thursday night practices - gosh - there are just too many to name! |
shaninic@bellsouth.net |
| 1984 | Kenn Lamson | Trombone / Tuba | Boise, ID | Senior Investment Portfolio Manager, US Bancorp Asset Management |
kdlamson@msn.com |
|
| 1984 | Bryan Poindexter | Drumline | Pearland, Tx | Part-time Musician / Full Time Corporate Trainer for Pizza Hut, Inc | “Stop poo-pooing in your horns!” WHITE SHOES and STRAW HATS! Freshman Follies. Bus Trips. Playing Bridgeman music. How BIG the band use to be. “Devil Went Down to Georgia”. Villa Rica Competitions. Gigi Southern. Kerry’s Drumline Exercise Book. Thursday nights at Harmon. Sunday football at Harmon. “dingleberries” Falling off Satterfield’s car hood. Opening Walnut Square Mall. How COLD Ft. Walton Beach is at night. Eddie my Deddy. PuppyDuck. Taping my sticks. The Glenstone Lodge. “What IS time, anyway?” Throwing cans down the hall. Quarters in the morning. Lamson’s Jam Box. “I hope I never” Atlantic States. Those TERRIBLE burgers at the game. SO MANY MORE! =] | kbpoindexter@hotmail.com |
| 1985 | Gina Jennings Porter | Flute / Piccolo | Dalton, GA | Accountant – Winter & Harris, CPA’s | All of it!! Wouldn’t trade any of it for the world!! |
gina@winterharriscpa.com |
| 1985 | Scott Keefer | Tuba / Drum Major | Atlanta, GA | Sous Chef, Ecco Restaurant | Too many to name all. The birth of "The White Shoes Gang" comes to mind. Snaking up the hill to Harmon Field, Spring trip to Bradenton... this list could be way too long. | dskeefer@charter.net |
| 1985 | Suzanne Parrott Logan | Color Guard | Dalton, GA | Cohutta Bank | The Freshman Follies Senior kissing line. |
flagchick1985@yahoo.com |
| 1986 | Tara Burton Bates | French Horn/Color Guard | Rocky Face, GA | Account Manager/Sales Rep - Carlson Wagonlit Travel | Bradenton Trip/Band Camp every year, I love my years in band, and wouldn't trade them for the world. | |
| 1988 | Patrick Denney | Euphonium / Trombone / Band Major | Cumming, GA | Music Teacher/Band Director Wilson Creek Elementary School Fulton County | My most treasured memory was anytime we hit measure 60 in La Suerte de los Tontos in the fall of 85. The fact that the popcorn eaters were never able to hear themselves talk at halftime each week was deeply gratifying. The best time playing 60 was the day show at the Tropicana Music Bowl at Jax State and seeing all the Southerners who were in the press box going nuts over the volume we could achieve. The horn line fall 87 was pretty incredible as well. It was a pleasure to have marched with all of you. | patrick.denney@gmail.com |
| 1988 | Bill Edwards | Trombone | Rocky Face, GA | Working as a Pediatrician in Dalton. | Fondest memories are of the trip to new york for the macy's parade. |
drbill@pediatricsofdalton.com |
| 1988 | Lisa Goble Meentemeyer | Colorguard ('85, '86.), Majorette ('87, '88), Alto-Clarinet | Sonoma, CA and recently to Davidson, NC | Full time mom to our two boys, United Airlines Flight Attendant | Trip to Bradenton ('85) and the Macy's Thanksgiving parade('87.) Freshman band camp year...soaking my aching feet in the dorm bathroom sink. Being a part of one of the largest majorette lines in the band's history. Alumni band reunion anyone? | lisameentemeyer@gmail.com |
| 1988 | Crista Shirley Knittel | Flute (84-85), Rifle (85-87), Drum Major (87-88) | Knoxville, TN | Kindergarten Teacher, Mom & Wife |
BAND CAMP, bus trips, Enloe in flip flops, Thursday nights @ Harmon Field, The “Pull” up the hill on Friday Nights, Train Ride to New York (Are we still rocking back and forth?), Macy’s parade, Thanksgiving Dinner at the Hotel, CATS (did we all fall asleep?), The Christmas Show with the Rockettes, I could go on and on…There is no amount of money in the world that would be enough to trade my memories from my years in the band! WOW…What a Blast! And, always being able to say that “I was the DHS Drum Major at the Macy’s Parade!” PRICELESS! |
casknittel@comcast.net |
| 1988 | Pamela Davenport Nease | Majorette | Cartersville, GA | Happily Married and Home School Mom of 4 Great Kids | Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (seeing Patrick Swazy on a horse and I did fall asleep during CATS!), Winning at Talladega, Sing, Sing, Sing and a chair routine, that warm-up song made me cry, were the girls' dorms at Hiawassee 5 miles uphill?, being a Band Geek for 2 great years and proud of it!, and high-toss forward rolls in the mud (why didn't we do cartwheels or walk-overs?), getting m&m's, a coke and a marriage proposal by a 5th grader named Benji after half-time! Sign me up for Alumni Band!! | pamelanease@gmail.com |
| 1989 | Jon Adams | Trombone / Euphonium / Trumpet / Drum Major 88-89 | Chatsworth, GA | Band Director – Bagley Middle School, & Asst. Marching Band Director Murray Co. High School | (1) Marching at Bradenton in 8th Grade (1985); (2) Talladega Competition – We won Sweepstakes beating the AAAA champs. We were AAA; (3) Homewood AL competition – We won class with I, I, II ratings. Other band in the class was I, I, I, so we thought we were out of it.; (4) There is nothing like being drum major. It’s even better than being director. |
jonathan.adams@murray.k12.ga.us |
| 1989 | Chris Ray | Trumpet |
Nicholasville,Ky
|
United States Postal Carrier | My best memories of being in the band are from marching from the junior high to Harmon Field on game night, band camp at Hiawassee College, Macy's Day Parade in '87, and most of all making great friends. Being in the band has got to be one of the best ways to exceed and overcome anything in life. Knowing that you and all of your other band members can come together and make music for others to enjoy. One whole unit together for one result in the end. I will always treasure being in the Catamount Band. |
cray4uk@yahoo.com
|
| 1989 | Christmas Tillotson | Flute/piccolo |
Athens, GA
|
Worked with chronically mentally ill for 10 years, but am now a stay-at-home mom. | Fondest DHS Band Memory: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade |
catillotson@yahoo.com
|
| 1990 | Amy Robertson Gravitte | Flute / Piccolo | Canton, GA | Wife to the most awesome man/ homeschool mom of 6 totally cool kids/ Praise Band leader for Grace Church-Alpharetta, GA/ Asst. marching band dir. for Joyful Noise Marching Saints-Marietta, GA./ Laundry Queen/ Expert chaos manager! |
Being in the band was so exciting, working so hard for a
goal; probably the fondest memory was marching in the
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City! A trip
to never be outdone!!! The life long musical treasure
from being in the band is priceless.
Was anyone actually awake
during CATS?!!
|
amygravitte@yahoo.com |
| 1991 | Heather Adams | Flute / Piccolo | Dalton, GA | 8th Grade Language Arts Teacher at Valley Point Middle School | My fondest memories of being in the Dalton High Band were the trips we took, the friends we made, and the incredible feeling I got when I marched onto the football field on a Friday night knowing that I was part of an awesome tradition. |
heathersadams@alltel.net |
| 1991 | Dana Patterson | Trumpet / Majorette | Dalton, GA | Teacher at City Park School | One of my fondest memories is being able to say that I marched down Broadway. I was with the group that marched in Macy's. There were a lot of memories on that trip. |
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| 1991 | Robert Schuler | Trumpet | Milwaukee, WI | Sr Sales Rep for J&J / Invision in Wisconsin | One of my best memories was marching in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 20 years ago. Also I enjoyed the friendships I made as well as Friday Night Football games. |
robert-schuler@sbcglobal.net |
| 1992 | Ronald Waters | Tenor Saxophone / Percussion / Drumline Section Section Leader 1991-1992 | Dalton, GA | Lead Person At Shaw Industries Plant 4 & Percussion Instructor at Gordon Central High School | Fondest momery is just being a part of the band program. |
RW626@charter.net |
| 1993 | Lawrence Brownlee | Trombone | Dalton, GA | IT Director for local law firm | Looking back now...being WonderBoy. | cynicalgeek@gmail.com |
| 1994 |
Mary Adams McLawhorn |
Clarinet / Contra Clarinet | Dalton, GA | Kindergarten teacher at Park Creek Elementary | There are too many to list. I think the friendship and sense of belonging that only people who were in the band could understand is what has stayed with me the longest. No matter where I go or what I do I will always belong to the band. | mary_mclawhorn@whitfield.k12.ga.us |
| 1994 | Gia Tillotson Bujak | Clarinet | Kennesaw, GA | Senior Applications Support Rep at a software company in Roswell, GA | The feeling of pride I got every single time I marched out onto the field whether it was a Friday night football game or a contest. There's nothing like being out there and giving it everything you've got to put on a good show. I also loved Thursday night practices, being a substitute banner-runner one year, exiting the field under a giant record, and being section leader. And don't even get me started on concert band!! I could go on and on.... |
gbujak@vcgsoftware.com |
| 1994 | Hollie Cope | Flute / Colorguard, Captain-4 | Dalton, GA | Neuromuscular Therapist / Clinical Massage | Too many to list, but I will always cherish the sense of pride and accomplishment that accompanied each and every performance, whether it was on field or on stage. |
HCope03@hotmail.com |
| 1994 | Tara Poston Polsgrove | Clarinet / Trumpet / Flugelhorn | Huntsville, AL | Engineer at Marshall Space Flight Center | Band camp away from home, straw hats, winning competitions, freezing our buts off in the stands of a playoff game, feeling like part of the band family,... looking back it was all great. |
RobAndTara@knology.net |
| 1995 | Tim Spanjer | Trombone | Smyrna, GA | 3D Artist / Animator | There isn't really one memory that stands out over others. But the think I definitely value the most are the friendships and relationships formed through the band. |
tim.spanjer@evokos.com |
| 1997 | George Perantatos | Trombone, Pit (marching), Piano (jazz), Bass (pep) | Seattle, WA | Microsoft, Program Manager | Wearing the band camp dress! |
zorba1@hotmail.com |
| 1997 | Scott Percy | Trumpet & Flugel Horn; Keyboards (Jazz and Pep Band) | Atlanta, GA | Lead Developer for Hannon Hill (Softwarefirm) | With all the crazy stories of band camp, competition trips, away and home football games, I can't pinpoint only a single fond memory. The best part of the whole experience was making amazing music with some of my best friends -- people I still enjoy seeing these days. |
mail@scottlpercy.com |
| 1998 | Megan Prewitt Koon | Oboe / Flute / Piccolo | Mount Pleasant, SC | High School English Teacher/Registrar, Masters Student | I always loved the minute you first stepped on the field at competition. |
shalottlove@aol.com |
| 1998 | Matthew Ware | Trumpet | Greenville, SC | Chemical Engineer | I was in every band imaginable during my time at DHS (marching, pep, concert, jazz, spring musicals, national anthem for the rotary track meet). I'd have to say being in Jazz Band for all 4 years and playing for the Swing Cafe were my favorite memories while I was there. Jazz was Mr. McClure's passion, and I'm glad to say I was a part of that. I also have a very fond memory of working with Mr. Henry at Georgia Tech when he was a consultant to the Marching Yellow Jackets. |
matthew.ware@fluor.com |
| 1999 | Karen Hill Sutherland | Clarinet / Drum Major | Acworth, GA | Metro Atlanta Account Representative for F. Schumacher & Co. | So many! Loved leading the band onto the field every Friday night and the thrill of competition! | karenhsutherland@gmail.com |
| 2000 | Matthew Kemph | Trombone | Bethesda, MD | Government Agency | Mr. McClure and "LB" |
matthew@kemph.com |
| 2000 | Jeff Miller | Drumline | Charleston, SC | Executive Sous Chef for Wild Dunes Resort on Isle of Palms |
Fondest band memory was my Junior year at our first indoor show playing a song from TOOL. Only two guys in the crowd knew what the song was but they hung out with us for hours after the show. |
jmiller@wilddunes.com |
| 2002 | Adam Sanford | Clarinet & Tenor Sax | Dalton, GA | Student at DSC | My freshman year we went to a competition in Statesboro where we won first place in the 3A division, and second place over all. Mr. McClure (our director at that time) went to get the tape of our show, but it was not at the judges' desk. We found out later that another band director had been so thrilled with our performance that he took it to use as instructional material. |
|
| 2002 | Lauren Townsend | Clarinet | Birmingham, AL | Intern for Southern Progress Corporation | I have so many. Most of them just have to do with moments spent with my friends (especially Kiki and Adam!). But one does stick out in my mind. My freshman year of band camp, we were at good ole Hiawasse, on the stage for full band practice for "Wings of the Chosen". It was near the end of the week and we were all tired. Mr.McClure asked "Who here has ever marched in a championship band?" and the only girl to raise her hand was a new student from Texas. Our first competition at Soddy-Daisy, we won our entire class. It was the first time the seniors had ever won anything. After we got our pictures made, Mr.McClure asked "Who here has ever marched in a championship band?" And everyone raised their hands. |
Lauren_Townsend@timeinc.com |
To be added to the on-line Alumni Register please send your Name, Graduation Year, Instrument(s) Played, Current City/State, Current Job/Activities, Fondest DHS Band Memory, and Your E-mail Address (if you want it posted) to this e-mail. Please help us spread the word to other DHS Band Alumni.