ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, July 30, 1993                   TAG: 9307300076
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY  
SOURCE: PAT BROWN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Long


CAN'T BEAT IT: SALEM DRUMS HIT BIG TIME

A dozen Salem teen-agers were wide awake at 8 a.m. Thursday as they waited to see themselves, however fleetingly, on ABC's "Good Morning America."

They are members of the Salem High School Band drum line, and they were gathered in the spacious den of Faisal Kahn, drum captain. The room's numerous windows afforded a panorama of mountains and hardwoods, but the students' eyes were glued to a giant television screen and an old tape of themselves performing at a band competition.

And they also were watching the clock. ABC television officials had said the day before that their 12-second percussion performance, painstakingly taped last Friday more than a dozen times, would be aired precisely at 8:30 a.m. The spot was moved up from Friday to Thursday, bringing guests to Kahn's den a day early.

The conditions were just right. The kids filled the couches and overflowed to the carpet. The television was more than big enough for everyone to see. Kahn's parents had provided soda and doughnuts, and Mohammed Kahn, Faisal's dad, had called his office to say he'd be late. "

"There's Mr. Reaser," someone said when band director Dennis Reaser arrived to join the vigil. "You won't see a better band anywhere," he bragged as the familiar competition tape rolled.

Faisal Kahn had his hands full. He fielded phone calls from friends wanting to know when the moment of glory would arrive. At the same time he maneuvered the remote to command the VCR to replay a piece of the competition tape.

"Whose feet are moving?" asked Matthew Oefelein, a bass drummer headed for ninth grade next year.

To these performers, every movement counts - drumsticks, feet, even heads. Everybody must be together. Precisely together. "That's you, Todd," Oefelein concluded, and the whole roomful of young people exploded into laughter, including Todd Loritsch, the guy on the screen who was marching when he was supposed to be standing still.

It was Todd's mom, Mary Loritsch, who managed to get the kids on national television, but her plans didn't work out exactly the way she had hoped.

Seeking publicity for the Band Boosters' Summer Music Games, she called ABC affiliate WSET in Lynchburg. ABC higher-ups wouldn't agree to mention the boosters' fund raiser, scheduled for 8 p.m. Tuesday at Salem Stadium, but they were interested in having a few of the band members call out a "Good Morning, America" greeting.

Precisely 10 band members could appear, Mary Loritsch was told, and they could say only what ABC officials approved. No sneaky plugs for the fund raiser. Precisely none.

"I figured the publicity would be good for the band and for Salem," she said, explaining why she encouraged the kids to do the spot anyway. But she confessed she was disappointed that the segment would make no mention of the drum and bugle corps show and competition she was working so hard to promote.

But at 8:25 a.m. Thursday in the Kahn's den, nobody was concerned about publicity. These young people just wanted to see themselves - for the first time - on national television. Faisal Kahn hung up the telephone, switched off the VCR and let images of Channel 13 announcer Tab O'Neal fill one end of the den. Precisely in time. It was the "Good Morning Virginia" segment of the show, and O'Neal was telling viewers that a special hello from Salem High School Drum section would be coming right up.

The station cut to an ad, and Greg Harrison joked, "There's Faisal," as an old cowboy peddled salsa. Another wave of laughter, and then the room was quiet.

"There we are," somebody said. Two lines, all in uniform. The first cadence was performed. Very precise.

Across the big screen, Faisal could be seen and heard.

"I'm Faisal Kahn, drum captain of the pride of Salem in Salem, Virginia, and I'm here to say, `Good morning, America.' " The second drum cadence began.

"We were all yelling," the live Faisal Kahn said, in disbelief that his companions' voices faded in the broadcast and only his "good morning, America" could be heard.

"Did you record it?" someone asked, and no one was surprised at the answer.

The roomful of drummers watched the tape again, turning up the volume in search of those missing voices.

This time they noticed show hostess Joan Lunden commenting on their performance. "That's great," she said. "That'll wake you up, I'd say."

"That's your wake-up call this morning," echoed Aaron Bradley, the show's host.

For now the excitement is over, but these band members will gather. First they will attend next week's precision performances by five visiting drum and bugle corps, where they will escort the winning corps onto the field at the close of competition.

Their younger brothers and sisters will leave next week for rookie band camp. August will include two weeks of practice from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the whole band, followed by a trip to Hinton, W.Va., for band camp.

With such a schedule, these busy percussionists only have time for fleeting NOTE: Shorter version ran in the Metro edition.


Memo: ***CORRECTION***

by CNB