May 13, 2007

    Dear valued GGGAMB member:

    Well, this is the moment you have been waiting
    for.  There is a lot to look forward to, with school
    ending and vacations coming up, and of course
    the highlight for all of us, the 5th annual season of
    The Greater Geneva Grande Award Marching Band!

    This year’s 4th of July celebration holds the promise
    of a band that’s bigger and better than ever, or at least
    no worse.  As always, we will rehearse at 9 AM sharp
    (or flat), march in the parade at 10:30, and play our
    concert for the community picnic at 11:30.  Those
    of you new to the band this year will find that an hour or so to
    practice is plenty of time to bring the performance up to the level expected by our audience.

    Most of the music will be familiar from previous seasons, but with a couple of new
    selections, which will be determined by the end of this month.  Anyone wishing to see the
    music in advance (and spoil the surprise), just let me know and I will mail it to you.

    Our big problem last year was “bigness.”  The band was so long that the front half and
    back half sometimes played different tunes.  This year our Music Director, Greg Barker,
    will confer with our conductor to determine the order of musical selections in advance.  
    And yes, Maestro Stinky Peugh will again lead us to glory and into the lore and legend of
    The Village of Geneva.

    As always, please invite your musical friends (and enemies) to participate.  And as always,
    we welcome volunteers for the “Auxiliary” to carry flags and banners, and help stragglers
    who run out of breath or get lost along the way.  I want to add more flags.  So far, I have
    purchased two red-white-blue flags on ebay.  One says Welcome and the other says Used
    Cars.  Well, the colors are appropriate.

    There will be another newsletter in a couple of weeks, or as soon as the musical program
    has been decided.  In the meantime, please get those embouchures into shape, and let me
    know when you are ready to sign up for this year’s Greater Geneva Grande Award
    Marching Band.

    One final remark:  Despite doing this for fun, the band is highly regarded and appreciated by
    the community.  The Geneva Citizens Association is counting on us to put the event over,
    as we have in the past, and it would certainly be a quiet holiday without us.

    And another final remark:  Not everyone who participated last year is on the list.  Please
    get the word to anyone you brought last year that he/she is indispensable and expected back.

    Musically yours,

    Richard Simonton
NEWSLETTER 07A