Retiree is 'the ultimate band booster'
By Tim Gallagher Journal staff writer | Posted: Monday, September 24, 2007
BANCROFT, Neb. -- Six years in a row the bands of Kenneth Headlee at Bancroft-Rosalie High School won their division of the Star City Parade in Lincoln.
Headlee, now retired, is still never far from his band. On Friday night, he played trumpet.
"He's one of four adults who join us. We really appreciate it," said current director Jim Jordan.
The band, which has 46 members in grades 7-12, likes Headlee's help, especially on a Friday night when many musicians are on the football field, playing for the Panthers.
"I play to keep my lip going," said Headlee, 63. "Plus it's hard to hear music outside, so I give the band a little help. I'm the ultimate band booster, I guess."
And how. The Wayne, Neb., native and Wayne State College graduate taught at Bancroft from 1966 to 1973 and helped build the music program here. After teaching stops in Emerson-Hubbard, Geneva and Loup City, he returned to guide the Panther marching band from 1989 until his retirement in 2005.
The marching band during his time here would generally compete in seven or eight festivals. The group often featured 60-some musicians in grades 7-12.
The band was even part of a Guinness Book of World Records record, if that's the right way to say it. "We played at the Harvest of Harmony Marching Band Festival that had 128 marching bands," said Headlee. "That parade took three hours."
The band under Jordan is getting back into the competition and festival circuit. It has been asked to return to the Star City Parade this year.
The band got quite a workout Friday playing the school's fight song, which is called "Panther Pride" around here. (It played after each touchdown in an 82-36 victory over Winnebago.)
The song is actually called "Go Northwestern University" and serves as the fight song for Northwestern of the Big Ten conference.
"It's my favorite song to use," said Headlee, who estimates he has played it more than 1 million times. "It's nice to be different. I think half the high schools in Nebraska use the Notre Dame Fight Song and one-quarter use the Nebraska fight song."
It makes Bancroft-Rosalie unique. Just like the retired band teacher.
Speaking of Wayne State ... A Wayne State College freshman prowled the sidelines Friday night in Bancroft for these Panthers. He's Derick Buck, a communications student at WSC.
Buck films football games for the Panthers and compiles a DVD of highlights set to music after the season. He's done this the past two years.
"I didn't film football the past two years, because I was playing," said Buck. "But I'd help put together the highlights after the season ended."
Buck had an interesting season last year, one marked with several trips by ambulance to the hospital.
"I got stones in my appendix and the doctors couldn't figure it out for four months," he said. "They said it was very rare."
Despite the pain, Buck convinced his parents (Jim and Terri Buck) and coaches to let him play in the Class D1 title game last fall at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.
"I played the first half and had to sit in the stands for the second half," he said. "A couple of days later I got my appendix out."
And that seemed to cure what ailed him.
Buck spent the rest of his senior year compiling video footage for the school DVD and a special DVD for his senior class. He sold copies and donated all proceeds back to the advanced computer class, because he used the class equipment for the project.
Was he a prominent figure in the DVD footage for his B-R Class of 2007?
"Not really," he said with a shrug. "I didn't want people to think I'm conceited. I did get a shot of me hanging my jersey next to the Huskers' jerseys in the Heisman Trophy room at Memorial Stadium."
If they gave a trophy for video production work at Bancroft-Rosalie, Buck would be a sure bet to haul it away. Maybe there's a local Emmy in it for him.
Buck said he's enjoying class at Wayne State this fall and has just started work as an intern for KCAU-TV in Sioux City.
"They'll have me filming football games the rest of the fall," he said of his internship. "I'm excited about it."
Breakout
Tim Gallagher hits the road Friday night to catch the action in North Sioux City as Dakota Valley hosts Elk Point-Jefferson. See his Friday Night Sights column in Sunday's Journal.
Headlee, now retired, is still never far from his band. On Friday night, he played trumpet.
"He's one of four adults who join us. We really appreciate it," said current director Jim Jordan.
The band, which has 46 members in grades 7-12, likes Headlee's help, especially on a Friday night when many musicians are on the football field, playing for the Panthers.
"I play to keep my lip going," said Headlee, 63. "Plus it's hard to hear music outside, so I give the band a little help. I'm the ultimate band booster, I guess."
And how. The Wayne, Neb., native and Wayne State College graduate taught at Bancroft from 1966 to 1973 and helped build the music program here. After teaching stops in Emerson-Hubbard, Geneva and Loup City, he returned to guide the Panther marching band from 1989 until his retirement in 2005.
The marching band during his time here would generally compete in seven or eight festivals. The group often featured 60-some musicians in grades 7-12.
The band was even part of a Guinness Book of World Records record, if that's the right way to say it. "We played at the Harvest of Harmony Marching Band Festival that had 128 marching bands," said Headlee. "That parade took three hours."
The band under Jordan is getting back into the competition and festival circuit. It has been asked to return to the Star City Parade this year.
The band got quite a workout Friday playing the school's fight song, which is called "Panther Pride" around here. (It played after each touchdown in an 82-36 victory over Winnebago.)
The song is actually called "Go Northwestern University" and serves as the fight song for Northwestern of the Big Ten conference.
"It's my favorite song to use," said Headlee, who estimates he has played it more than 1 million times. "It's nice to be different. I think half the high schools in Nebraska use the Notre Dame Fight Song and one-quarter use the Nebraska fight song."
It makes Bancroft-Rosalie unique. Just like the retired band teacher.
Speaking of Wayne State ... A Wayne State College freshman prowled the sidelines Friday night in Bancroft for these Panthers. He's Derick Buck, a communications student at WSC.
Buck films football games for the Panthers and compiles a DVD of highlights set to music after the season. He's done this the past two years.
"I didn't film football the past two years, because I was playing," said Buck. "But I'd help put together the highlights after the season ended."
Buck had an interesting season last year, one marked with several trips by ambulance to the hospital.
"I got stones in my appendix and the doctors couldn't figure it out for four months," he said. "They said it was very rare."
Despite the pain, Buck convinced his parents (Jim and Terri Buck) and coaches to let him play in the Class D1 title game last fall at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.
"I played the first half and had to sit in the stands for the second half," he said. "A couple of days later I got my appendix out."
And that seemed to cure what ailed him.
Buck spent the rest of his senior year compiling video footage for the school DVD and a special DVD for his senior class. He sold copies and donated all proceeds back to the advanced computer class, because he used the class equipment for the project.
Was he a prominent figure in the DVD footage for his B-R Class of 2007?
"Not really," he said with a shrug. "I didn't want people to think I'm conceited. I did get a shot of me hanging my jersey next to the Huskers' jerseys in the Heisman Trophy room at Memorial Stadium."
If they gave a trophy for video production work at Bancroft-Rosalie, Buck would be a sure bet to haul it away. Maybe there's a local Emmy in it for him.
Buck said he's enjoying class at Wayne State this fall and has just started work as an intern for KCAU-TV in Sioux City.
"They'll have me filming football games the rest of the fall," he said of his internship. "I'm excited about it."
Breakout
Tim Gallagher hits the road Friday night to catch the action in North Sioux City as Dakota Valley hosts Elk Point-Jefferson. See his Friday Night Sights column in Sunday's Journal.
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Jim Jordan wrote on Sep 24, 2007 10:21 PM: