Meeting of Great Minds -- old band members

The Might Marching Panther Band of Murphy High School gathered together for the first time in years. It was limited to students who were under the direction of Larry Keating and the late E B Coleman on May 5. 2012. We honored Larry Keating by gifting a frame of memories, visiting, and sharing wonderful stories from “way passed when.” When I tell you “way passed when”: that would be a time when a lot of some things were considered teenage mischievousness and not illegal acts like they are now. It was truly an adventuresome weekend to say the least. Now done to business! The planners of the first meeting were unorganized. We learned; that is Regina, Maurissa and I realized that we needed help and a lot more people to be involved. So Maurissa and I realized that Regina is the best organized of the three of us, we sort of appointed her leader—president official of the 1st ever Murphy Band Alumni (only under the direction of Larry Keating and E B Coleman.) Why these two men? Why now and why them? That would be what many would ask. To quote Dr. David Crump (while looking at picture of Larry Keating shouting at band students in Ladd Stadium, “Don’t mill around with head down like a bunch of cattle!”

He is correct. We had to look forward to something and look up. That is why each and everyone I have shared the band experience with over 90% are really very rich in self esteem and successful in their own right! We have all done that, looked up for something because we are something spectacular. It may have taken some of us longer to get there but we did it. To quote Kevin J Conlon, VP of Academic Affairs at the Columbus College of Arts and Design, “We were a great band!” Being great at something means we are only as good as we were taught and to be the best you have to have great leaders. We had the best – both the economically affluent and the economically challenged. Our shoes where white as white as our gloves and our hat brims had to be the reflection of ourselves, confident, clean, and to command a performance of superior. I am not saying we were perfect by any means. We were down-right dangerous in most cases! But as I have realized in putting together the memories and finding the people, I find nothing negative so far. Oh I sure there are negative things but I have not looked for them. It has always been my nature in the past to look for the sour, the sorted, and the negative things in most people but why not this group of people? When I go into searching for the missing, I see something special, a common bond, a uniform to wear, and an emotional warmness. We are all politically diverse, different religions, and so many different professions. Even though I try to avoid coming into any contact with my ex-sister-in-law (because of familial reasons) I find myself thinking of her with a little caring compassion, fondly of that rifle captain whom I practice 10 hours of rifle twirling and tossing with to get it right. Oh the aches and the pains we experienced. I also have met some band members that were there before and after I graced those Spanish walls of Murphy High School. I have also been made privy to some very special hopes and dreams, illnesses, and death. I have discovered three band members deceased so far; two that I shared the news with just earlier today. One former student had no idea that our former band directors (Larry Keating) eldest son had passed away, Alan. It does sadden me to think that the world will never realize just what a great musician he really was. But it doesn’t have to end there. Another one was Carmen Garriz Longino (sister to Patricia Garriz) passed away from a lengthy illness and then the untimely sudden death of Joanne Scruggs. But all in all we were special. Not in an angelic way either but in a humanism type realistic way to question, was it real? We really didn’t stick to our own world either. Larry Keating and E B Coleman dared themselves to venture to other countries with us. They led us to the Netherlands, Mexico, Disney World, and other great places all across the south including a performance at the Super Bowl in the “then new” Super Dome in New Orleans, LA. What happened to us all? We grew up. We left the famous halls and went out into the world to see suffering, pain, happiness, work, blood, gore, guts, death, and all the wonderful things that our young people today very seldom can escape at such a young age. We are now a collective group of homemakers, husband, wives, widows, widowers, divorcees, life-long partners, doctors, painters, students, musicians, educators, professors, scientists, entrepreneurs, conductors, business men, business women, technology specialist, nurses, stylists, brokers, surgeons, geologists, photographers, missionaries, appraisers, engineers, conductors, veteran political activists, food managers, insurance adjusters, therapists, food workers, bankers, lawyers, writers, communication specialist, media specialist, real estate agents, architects, and so much more. We are society that once touched each other’s life. These are the people, even though thru a brief moment in history, gave something to a group they happened to bond with. In learning that lesson, they learned to give of themselves throughout life and that is what makes a successful person. These are the richest people in the world. Richer than any sports ball player could ever have it, these were musical talents and performing artists who won life on their terms and conquered. When we meet again, and we will, we will walk away like before feeling wonderfully charged to have been associated with each other at one time or another. We will go back to our lives and give more of ourselves because that was what we were trained today by Larry Keating’s direction and E B Coleman’s enforcement. Oh our parents had a helping hand in there, but these two men will always be considered special to us when our parents weren’t looking. For the future: I would personally like to see the collective group gather and hopefully form a permanent association for the advancement of at least one person a year. That is correct. There is at least one musician that can follow us and that we can see after to become something wonderful. We can give just a little bit more of ourselves. We can start a scholarship fund for a needy musical artist from the Murphy High School Band. I met Stan Chapman, the current band director. Even though he is not our Larry Keating or E B Coleman, he teaches with such a conviction that he too would be a hard act to follow. I also met a few of his band members and they had that “ego” look of greatness in their eyes. In speaking with Alexis Gould Beegle today, she mentioned him in fondness as a dedicated teacher of music. Bobby Keating and Larry Keating spoke of him as a respected colleague and in very high regards as have other former members who have watched the band from afar. Since this scholarship was suggested when we first met on May 5th this year, it will be placed on the table next year with many more of us to make a decision. There is already an E B Coleman scholarship fund from what I understand. Larry Keating stated that when he meets with his band group in Florida, they are thinking about starting a scholarship fund in the name of his old band director. I had to ask if his old band director was still living. Larry replied, “Why yes he is!” (When he answered he had a smile on his face.) According to Larry, he is up there in age. So ladies and gentleman, get ready. Open your hearts. We are going to make a difference in a life for at least one young person to become leaders among leaders like us in society—but to their own tune!