
DATE: Friday, October 10, 1997              TAG: 9710090207

SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS     PAGE: 06   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: COVER STORY 

SOURCE: F.G. EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:  127 lines

BANDING TOGETHER I.C. NORCOM'S BAND DIRECTOR, MUSICIANS AND PARENTS WORK HARD TO PRESERVE THE MARCHING GREYHOUNDS' RICH, GLORIOUS PAST.

NOTE: This is the first in a three-part series of Currents cover stories on the marching bands of Portsmouth's public high schools. Upcoming cover stories will look at the Churchland and Wilson marching bands.

WILLIAM PRENTISS HAS only a short history as band director at I.C. Norcom High School, but he understands that the school's marching band has a rich and glorious past.

``Most of the (marching band) students' parents went to Norcom and played in the band,'' said Prentiss, who is in his second year at Norcom. ``I'd say 60- to 75-percent of my band members fit that category.''

One such is Cameron Jones, a drum major who Prentiss called ``my field commander.'' Her mother, Ceceilia, played for the Norcom marching band from 1967 through '70. Prentiss referred to the elder Jones as an historian of the Marching Greyhounds.

Because of the rich tradition, Prentiss has no trouble filling the band room and the football field with eager marching musicians. Norcom has a 130-member band. That's more than 2 1/2 times the size of Wilson's and almost twice the size of Churchland's.

That's both a blessing and a curse, said Prentiss, tongue-in-cheek.

``It makes the music easier, but the marching harder,'' he said. ``The more musicians you have, the better the sound concept, but, marching is easier when you have fewer band members to move around.''

Prentiss compared his job to that of a football coach:

``He prepares his game plan during the summer. I have to do the same. I plan the music and the marching formations, keeping in mind that a balanced sound is vital to the marching.''

To set all that marching musicianship in smooth motion, Prentiss uses graph paper. He diagrams the formations on paper, then shows his Greyhounds how to accomplish his designs on the field.

``Most of them can play by the time they arrive at Norcom,'' said Prentiss. ``Getting them to play and move, now that can be difficult.

``I liken it to student drivers. They do OK in automatic transmission, but once they get behind the wheel of a standard-transmission car, they get preoccupied with shifting the gears and forget about driving.''

To keep his marching band shifting gears smoothly, Prentiss puts them through their paces for two to 2 1/2 hours a day after school. Norcom uses a high-stepping show-band style, as does Wilson. Churchland's band uses the corps, or military, style.

``It takes more than the energy to lift your legs,'' Prentiss said. ``It takes precision, practice - and stamina.''

It also takes money.

``The uniforms last about five years,'' Prentiss said. ``They could last 10 if we had the facilities to keep them at school, but we don't. The kids take them home. So they last about five years.''

Each marching Greyhound pays a yearly band fee of $80 to help with the cleaning and care of band uniforms.

Norcom band boosters, better known as parents, hold fund-raisers to pay for transportation to football games and other performances.

``We try to make our fund-raisers all-inclusive,'' Prentiss said. ``To have the kids and the parents work together on the fund-raising. Selling fresh fruit is one of our big money raisers.''

Ceceilia and Cameron Jones live together, work together, make music together. They're mother (Ceceilia) and daughter (Cameron). Cameron is a 17-year-old senior, a drum major for the past two years. Before that, she played flute and baritone tuba in the marching band.

She plans to major in physics at Florida A&M in Tallahassee.

Physics?

``Yes,'' Cameron said. ``I love physics. I would like to become a band director one day, but I know the field is packed with candidates. So, I'll major in physics.''

She plans to audition for the A&M band.

Ceceilia Jones played clarinet in the Norcom band under the leadership of legendary Emery Fears, who got the Greyhounds' musical legacy rolling. She won a scholarship to study music at Delaware State University.

``I played in the marching, concert and intercollegiate bands,'' Jones said. ``I had to audition for the latter.''

She has been an ardent band parent since Cameron's freshman year, and she is this year's band booster president.

The band boosters at Norcom are particularly active, she said. Besides the annual fruit sale, they host a percussion competition each year. Each band pays an entry fee, and the boosters also receive proceeds from the concession sales.

``Our alums are very helpful about making contributions, even the ones who didn't play in the band,'' Jones said.

Emery Fears' former students held a roast in his honor , and Jones said that's being planned again.

``We use the money we take in to fix the instruments,'' Jones said. ``A couple of years ago, we bought new drums. We've bought and paid for new flag-corps uniforms.''

Ceceilia Jones wants to make sure the Marching Greyhounds continue their proud tradition, and her daughter's graduation won't end Ceceilia Jones' efforts on behalf of her favorite high school band.

``I told Mr. Prentiss I would return to help with fund-raisers after Cameron graduates,'' she said. MEMO: Look for cover stories on the Churchland and Wilson high school

marching bands in upcoming issues of The Currents. ILLUSTRATION: Photos including color cover by PHILIP HOLMAN

Senior Lynn Yarbrough leads the trumpet section of Norcom's band

during a recent football game. Yarbrough has been a Marching

Greyhound since Freshman year.

Norcom's 130-member marching band fills the football field for a

halftime performance.

Band director William Prentiss, left, says he has no trouble filling

the band room with eager marching musicians. Prentiss calls drum

major Cameron Jones, right, ``my field commander.''

Graphic

A WINNING BAND

If you happened to be watching the Peanut Fest parade in Suffolk