Hint: It’s not me, though I had something to do with it.
Another hint: It’s not Duke, though he had quite a lot to do with it.
Last hint: It’s not the Band. (Besides, I said “man” singular so the Band as a group is out.) But yeah, the Band had a little something to do with it, too.
Who’s the real hero? It’s this guy right here:
RONALD E. YOUNGS, Major, Media Specialist, Penn State University
I knew him as both a captain and a major, but Ron Youngs is really the guy to thank. He recorded every concert, every record and every other audio-worthy event during my five-year tenure at VFMA, and I suspect he did for many of the years prior to my arrival. His recordings are the genesis of the record albums that are listed here. His recordings of our concerts that he copied one at a time onto reel-to-reel tape for us to purchase are the genesis of the concert tracks that are on this site.
Without Ron, all we’d have now are distant memories of those fine musicians with whom we associated during our cadet days. Whether it’s the vinyl grooves of a record album or the ferrous oxide on the reel-to-reel tapes, it’s not just the Band on there. It’s Ron’s skill and talent on there, too. Sure, the rest of us had a little something to do with it, but Ron’s diligence and dedication helped preserve for all of us the memories of our friends, our music, and our alma mater.
On behalf of all the Bandies, thank you.
