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Mr. Van Sickle & Band

Created on: 03/20/10 07:47 PM Views: 2112 Replies: 2
Mr. Van Sickle & Band
Posted Saturday, March 20, 2010 02:47 PM

I love music from the 40's and, not too long ago, realized that it was Mr. Van Sickle and songs we played in NHS band that influenced this love.  My husband and I switched from cable TV to Direct TV recently and, now having access to Sirius radio, I often listen to the 40's music channel.  It brings back memories of some of our band songs: "Blue Skies", "Sentimental Journey", "Near You", "Embraceable You", "Memphis Blues" - we needed that one for our Memphis trips!  Also, "Dipsy Doodle", which is actually a song from the 30's.  And, we can't forget St. Louis Blues (march).  I read that it is from the 20's, but was recorded by Glen Miller and the Army Air Force Band in 1943 when he was commander.  I suppose Mr. Van Sickle grew up with this great music. He passed his love for it on to this very mediocre clarinet player and I am really grateful for that! (The love for the music, not being a mediocre clarinet player!) I must add that I learned a lot more than music from Mr. Van Sickle - and mostly I think it was, "if you're going to do something, do it well".  It was a lesson taught by my parents, but especially meaningful coming from a teacher.

 
Music Educators Honor Van Sickle
Posted Saturday, March 20, 2010 03:40 PM

Rosalie Lott Ewing found this article from the 21 Nov 2008 edition of The Natchitoches Times.

Music educators honor Van Sickle

The late Wallace Van Sickle was a band director at Natchitoches High School and principal during his career at a music educator. He will be inducted into the Louisiana Music Educators Association Hall of Fame Nov. 22.

 

 
Published: Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:13 PM CST
Wallace Van Sickle, former band director at Natchitoches High School and an outstanding music educator, will be posthumously inducted into the LMEA Hall of Fame at the conference in Baton Rouge. The induction will take place on Saturday, Nov. 22 at the Holiday Inn Select Conference Center. Van Sickle is the 74th music educator to be so honored since the Hall of Fame was instituted by the LMEA Board of Directors in 1982.

Van Sickle was born in Hope, Ark., Nov. 10, 1921 and attended public schools there, graduating from Hope High School in 1940. He attended Southern State College in Magnolia, Ark., for one year prior to entering the U.S. Navy as a pilot where he served as a lieutenant for four years.

In 1945, he entered Northwestern State College in Natchitoches and he completed his bachelor's degree in 1947. He completed his master's degree at North Texas State University during the summers of 1950-1954. He did additional graduate study at the University of Arkansas.

Upon graduation, he became the band director at Bristol (Tennessee) High School. After four years at Bristol, he accepted the position as band director at Arkansas High School of Texarkana, serving there for five years. From 1954 to 1968, he conducted all levels of instrumental music in the public schools of Natchitoches. During this time, he served as supervisor of band student teachers for Northwestern State University.

His Natchitoches High School band consistently received superior ratings in marching, concert and sight reading. He served as a judge at many marching and concert festivals in east and southeast Texas, Arkansas and southeast Oklahoma, as well as southwest Louisiana. His marching band, along with Ken Green's Bossier High School Band and F.B. Ward's Jonesboro-Hodge High School Band, established northwest Louisiana as the center of marching band activity in Louisiana in the 1960s.

Van Sickle was a principal in Natchitoches from 1968 until his retirement in 1981.

He was an active member of the Louisiana Music Educators Association, the American Band Directors Association, the Louisiana Teachers Association and the Louisiana Principals Association. He was very active in the early development of LMEA, working with such distinguished music educators as Richard McCluggage, Walter Minniear and Ralph Pottle. He also participated on the parade committee for the Natchitoches Christmas Festival for many years.

Van Sickle was also a performing musician during his college days and during the early part of his teaching career, playing the trumpet in dance bands.

He died Nov. 25, 1984 in Natchitoches.


 

 
Copyright © 2010 - Natchitoches Times
 
RE: Mr. Van Sickle & Band
Posted Saturday, March 20, 2010 05:18 PM

I am in total agreement with LeeLee.  I, too, love the 40's music, but have not thought about the songs we played in Band, but you are right...so many of the pieces were 40's music.

One of my regrets in life is not letting someone know how their life, or teaching, has molded and/or touched my life.   Mr. Van Sickle is one of those regrets.  How I wish I had written him to let him know how much he taught me.  I had 9 months of piano lessons... 5 months from Miss Hogan, 4 months from a lady that I can not even remember her name!  I will admit that Miss Hogan taught me the notes on the staff and the notes on the piano!  The other lady didn't "teach" me anything, but I did enjoy hearing her play!  It was Mr. Van Sickle who taught me what theory I know, how to read the notes, and to clap and count out timing!!  I can count ANYTHING!  And if you can count out the timing, read the notes on the staff and know where they are on the piano, or whatever instrument being played, then my friend, you can play anything!  :)  Band members, you know exactly what I'm talking about.  Because of Mr. Van, I was able to transfer his teachings to the piano, and as a result have been able to use my music all through my life.  What a joy and pleasure it has been, and will continue to be, as long as I'm on this earth...and hopefully, there will be a piano, or band in heaven and we will just keep on playing...forever!  :)   I thank my Lord for the talent He gave me, and I thank Mr. Van Sickle and Mr. Leslie Graham for their teachings and for sharing their love of music with me.  I shared this with Mr. Graham, but regretfully, not with Mr. Van.

Most of my wonderful memories of high school involves band...playing, marching, concerts, competitions, football games, parades, pep ralleys, band trips...fun, fun, fun!

 
 



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