https://bandsir.com A musical history Wed, 12 Mar 2025 22:29:10 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://bandsir.com/bandmasters-2/upon-the-retirement-of-col-feltham/#comment-6698 Wed, 12 Mar 2025 22:29:10 +0000 http://www.bandsir.com/?page_id=583#comment-6698 I enthusiastically second these thoughts, and especially those of Wes Weseleskey who was a Bandmate of mine!I miss him much.!

]]> https://bandsir.com/bandmasters-2/upon-the-retirement-of-col-feltham/#comment-4846 Tue, 07 Feb 2023 16:00:34 +0000 http://www.bandsir.com/?page_id=583#comment-4846 As a first generation American, born from Russian transplants, my childhood was a brutal disaster. Music became my salvation. When evicted from our house, becoming a “Street Person” @ 15, as a semi decent Tuba player, Sgt. Bugler Chuck Springman (VF’52) alerted me to audition for the VFMA Band. Major Feltham welcomed my attempt by pulling out his clarinet to accompany the nervous candidate during that audition. Duke’s empathy was a welcomed nurturing unknown to me. During that Plebe year of ’52~’53 the overwhelming number of new cadets vs. “Old Men” bandsmen seemed to be an insurmountable Herculean task. Masterfully, Keith plied the 50 cadets into a topflight instrumental symphonic and marching band that astounded all listeners and field observers. Band Captain Dodson (VF’53) & the Plebe Detail fearlessly drove the precision military drills daily using their ’52 Canadian Royal Military College visitation experience to highly polish the smartness of personal & unit appearances to outshine the Corps of Cadets. The combined melding of musicianship & smartness further encapsulated the famous Feltham trademark as the Academy’s standard. At the Duke’s encouragement, Gen. & Mrs. Baker further enhanced the band’s refinement by taking them to the opera & Philadelphia’s symphony orchestra under the baton of Eugene Ormandy. During bus trips to various performances the Duke joyfully listened to the bawdy collegian songs performed by “His Boys”. During my 3 years in the Band, the personal empathetic father-like traits of Keith had him challenging other Tac Officers to “Rise Up to Band Standards” in academics, presentation & physical prowess. D Keith Feltham turned his boys into confident, knowledgeable, tenaciously successful “Men of America”, as Gen. Milton G. Baker & Medenbach had planned to develop. The highlight of the Class of ’53’s Band was representing Pennsylvania during the ’53 Washington Inauguration of President “Ike”. The fraternal brotherhood of D. Keith Feltham’s Bands may never be exceeded. The Herald Angels of Heaven & the Duke await to greet all future Bandsmen for their encoring. ~ HE was my Mentor & perhaps Yours too. ~wes~

]]> https://bandsir.com/bandmasters-2/upon-the-retirement-of-col-feltham/#comment-3455 Tue, 30 Aug 2022 01:18:27 +0000 http://www.bandsir.com/?page_id=583#comment-3455 TO those who were members of the band in the 1960s. To this day your professionalism still lives within me. Might have been the best part of the Forge. Years ago Mrs. Miller represented the actress Glenn Close. Her significant other was the Producer of the TV SHow Cagney and Lacey. We were invited to her birthday party, a House on the beach in Malibu. I am on the sand and are my ears are playing tricks on me. I don’t recall the name of the song…but it is a tune that I heard marching on review at Valley Forge. Through, the house comes the USC Marching Band. If I closed my eyes I was on the parade field at the Forge. The VFMA Band Cadets were just as good as one of the best College Bands in the Country. In fact I think the VFMA Band was better. Now, as an adult I understand what an amazing job that Englishman did.

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