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EDITOR'S NOTE: This is part one of a two-part historical look at the Warren G. Harding Band under the guidance of Robert E. Fleming. It was coordinated by the Trumbull County Historical Society as part of its weekly series focusing on our region's history.
The year was 1958.
Warren remained a bustling hub of economic activity: steel mills, Packard Electric, auto parts manufacturing and many other local industries. Social activity was equally robust, much of it revolving around the city's Warren G. Harding High School.
Sporting nationally known names such as eventual professional Hall of Fame wide receiver Paul Warfield, its football and basketball teams drew large audiences. As grade-schoolers, we knew the names of the high school's star players.
On the other hand, according to Dr. John Vlad, a Harding band member who graduated in 1952, the music program through the 1950s remained relatively "small and average." The 1958 band had 48 members. A young man, born in Kentucky, visualized an excellent opportunity to construct elite marching and concert bands at Warren G. Harding.
Tall, exceedingly knowledgeable, self-confident, and charismatic with a militarybearing -- a no-nonsense disciplinarian with superb leadership and communication skills -- his name was Robert E. Fleming. He came to WGH to take over from longtime marching band director Charles Corlett and join respected instrumental music director Dr. Carl Scheig.
Fleming's presence at the high school had an immediate effect, according to the 1959 Echoes yearbook: "Sparked by newcomer Robert Fleming, the Panther Band roused community and school spirit" by his work enhancing the appearance and musicianship of the band. He added marching patterns and majorette dance features, and arranged field trips for his band to observe the renowned Ohio State University Marching Band, where he acquired the sheet music for "Across the Field" as the school's new fight song.
Two years later in 1960, Fleming for the first time was provided an assistant director. A fellow Southerner arrived, Clinton Foster, a high school band director from West Virginia with five years of experience to take over from the retiring Scheig, who had taught orchestra at WGH since the school first opened in 1925.
The new assistant possessed a similar skill set as Fleming but was found to be "softer around the edges," an appropriate student confidant, yet also a firm enforcer when it came to marching precision and elegant musicality. Together, they ushered in a new era for the band, and in collaboration with Fleming whose focus was on innovation, Foster is praised for helping to implement the WGH band's college-style floating diamonds and geometric kaleidoscope marching patterns.
By 1962, the WGH band, numbering 128 with 10 majorettes and a new drum major -- students hailing from all walks of life -- began hitting its stride, leading to national attention and tremendous civic pride. For the next four school years, enjoying the presence of once-in-a-generation, extraordinary musical talent such as the gifted clarinetist Jim Ognibene, the Fleming-Foster marching and concert bands were widely considered to be among the finest in the country. Packing in 8,000 to 12,000 people per game, Warren had one of the largest newly built high school football stadiums in the state of Ohio. Yes, the entire community still came to watch football, but people were just as interested in the band. Nobody left their seat at half-time to get a hot dog.
Showmanship was Fleming's forte, and a grand entrance was key: Stunning the crowd, an imposing percussion line struck a sudden drum roll to herald the appearance of the drum major bounding onto th ecenter of the field to toss his gleaming baton high into the night sky. All eyes watched in anticipation as it quickly descended to his swift grasp amid triumphant cheers as the band launched into its exciting run-on to the field, then snapped forward to quick-cadenced precision marching patterns, with majorettes in bright red twirling sparkling batons to gorgeous musical renditions of popular songs, creating a spectacle of undeniable entertainment value.
People couldn't get enough. A unique band shell was constructed in 1962, topped by a distinctive large glowing "W," to protect the high school's musicians and majorettes, and Band Night was created as a prelude to the football season. The superior-rated concert bands performed at an elite college level, or very close to it. Ensembles such as dance band gave students a chance to perfect their musicianship. In 1964, the band was invited to perform during the College-All Stars vs. Bears on Soldier Field in Chicago -- an unheard of opportunity for a high school band. Their nationally televised halftime performance was viewed by millions, earning widespread praise and congratulations from across the country.
The concert band was voted Ohio Band of the Year by Kent State University. This set into motion a "high demand" situation in which the entertainment executives of professional football teams from nationwide began calling to book dates, a phenomenon that lasted more than 20 years.
Brodell and Meyer are alumni of the Warren G. Harding band program. Read part two in the Dec. 26 issue of the Tribune Chronicle.