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National Stage Band Camp
In 1966 as a member of the Whitesboro Sr High Stage Band, I could go to the National Stage Band Camp. We went to the University Connecticut. Since our whole stage band was there and went there previous the year, they kept us together Herb Pomeroy led our band. Herb Pomeroy was a Boston, MA top trumpet player, band leader and professor at Berklee College of Music. Monday to Friday we had band rehearsal, section practice, improvisation class and music theory class. In 1966 my teachers were band - Pomeroy, section - Everett Longstreth, improvisation - Jamey Aebersold, music theory - Jerry Coker. Aebersold had 2 record/books - "How to Play Jazz and Improvise" and "Nothin' But Blues". I bought Jerry Coker's "Improvising Jazz" and Jerry autographed it. Other teachers at the camp were Berklee's Charlie Mariano and John LaPorta saxes, Pomeroy and Longstreth trumpets, Phil Wilson trombone, Ray Santisi piano, Alan Dawson drums. Other teachers Aebersold, Coker and Wally Barnett on sax, Morgan Powell trombone, Attila Zoller guitar and Ron Carter bass. In the afternoon there were concerts by Toshiko Akiyoshi (married to Charlie Mariano), Marian McPartland and Phil Wilson and Ed Shaughnessy gave a masterclass. On Saturday night all the bands played a concert.In 1967 we went again. That year the town voters down the proposed school budget and there were no buses for extracurricular trips. My parents drove 3.5 hours to CT for camp with me with trumpet, Darryl with alto sax and Don with bass with the neck of the bass in our seat space. Most were the same teachers, but on trumpet for sectional Lenny Johnson replaced Everett Longstreth and I think Jimmy Garrison replaced Ron Carter. I don't my improvisation and music theory teachers.
These are great experiences. I was only 12 and 13 those years. I worried most about playing my 4th trumpet parts and didn't really learn how to improvise. After these camps I started buying lp records in the bargain bin at the Boston Store in Utica. I bought Woody Herman's "Encore - Woody Herman 1963" with Phil Wilson on Trombone and "Basie" at Birdland with Lenny Johnson.