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Band performance
requires discipline
As a longtime professional musician, I was very happy to see that Neil Rudel picked music and the Blue Band as his favorite PSU traditions in Thursday's point-counterpoint.
I lived in State College as a PSU MuEd Major 1972-76. Had I gone straight from Altoona Area High School, I would likely have been in the marching Blue Band.
However, by the time I got there, I was almost age 23, having served as an Army Bandsman.
I already had plenty of marching experience and felt that I was a little aged out for the antics of a college marching band.
I did join the Concert Blue Band, performing on campus, around the area and sometimes touring to other sections of Pennsylvania. The Blue Band director was James W. Dunlop.
He ran a tight ship and was not someone you wanted to displease. He may have been a tougher disciplinarian than Joe Paterno.
Although not as physically dangerous as football, the training and discipline required for music can be as rigorous as athletics.
Plus, it goes on for as long as you remain active in it, which can be your whole life if you choose.
Lee Appleman
Jupiter, Florida
Drum major flip
provided inspiration
I just finished reading Neil Rudel's game-day atmosphere article in the Penn State point-counterpoint and cannot agree more.
I have been a season ticket holder since 1982 and have only missed two home games in that time frame.
Though rain, snow and freezing temperatures, sitting through some of those games may have casted some question of my sanity.
But they have been the best times. I took all my kids to the games while growing up and now alternate taking my 12 grandkids.
In addition, I've been to games in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia (Temple), Alabama, Notre Dame, West Virginia -- once there was enough -- Michigan and Rutgers.
I've also made almost all the bowl games with the Fiesta Bowl national championship win over Miami and the Rose Bowl win over Oregon and pageantry in Pasadena being my two favorites.
The story triggered some great memories through the years.
The first of my children went to her first game when she had to sit on my lap, and I had to pick her up so she could see her first of many drum major flips.
She is now a professor at Penn State-DuBois and this past year was named "Educator of the Year" at Penn State DuBois. I guess her career started in the atmosphere that Rudel shared in that article.
Chuck Banas
Tyrone