Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 7, 1991 TAG: 9102070114
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER/ NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
Chris Chang barely had 24 hours.
Chang, a Virginia Tech graduate and former Christiansburg resident, is band director at Langston Junior High School and Gibson Middle School in the Danville area. She also is assistant director of the George Washington High School Marching Eagles.
It takes a talent for juggling schedules to cover all those bases. But Chang still said yes when she was phoned about substituting in case the scheduled director for the all-district concert band couldn't make it.
The director, from Lexington, S.C., had a virus but hoped to be over it in time to spend the weekend with the regional band preparing for Sunday's concert. Chang had agreed two days before rehearsals started to be the backup.
The day before students selected from 33 Southwest Virginia schools were to arrive in Pulaski, Chang was notified that she would be needed after all.
Nevertheless, her concert came off without a flaw. She chose the selections, got through the rehearsals and directed the performance.
"I knew these were good pieces. They were challenging," she said.
It was a homecoming of sorts for Chang, who grew up in Christiansburg as Chris Goodman and graduated from Tech.
She had played the trumpet at Tech with the Marching Virginians, University Jazz Ensemble and Wind Ensemble. She was student staff assistant with the Marching Virginians her senior year.
Pulaski County High School had a good representation among the some 200 student musicians in Chang's concert band and the All-District Symphonic Band, directed by Thomas Fraschillo of the University of Southern Mississippi.
Concert musicians from Pulaski County included Beth Lively and Sarah Simpkins, flutes; Betsy Earhart, clarinet; Drema Crist and Jennifer Cox, horns; Wendy Cox, Brian Berry and Angi Welker, trumpets; Thomas Shockley, trombone; Pamela Dalton, bass clarinet; Rita Cox, alto saxophone; Chris Dye, tuba, and David Farris, percussion.
Symphonic Band performers from the host county were April Asbury and Kim Worrell, flute; Lynn Coltrane, oboe; Shellie Simpkins, Lateffa Carter, Tracey Lineberry and Stacy Arnold, clarinets; DeAnna Wyatt, trumpet; Kerri Weddle and Craig Dobyns, French horns; Amy Webb, Daniel Johnson, Robert Crockett, Amanda Folsom and Martie Hull, trombones; Amy Farmer, tuba; Sarah Simpkins, bassoon, and Jason Jennings and Eva Machelor, percussion.
by CNB