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56-791: Born in Spring Gulch, Colorado , Revelli studied violin as a child, graduated from the Beethoven Conservatory of Music in St. Louis, and received degrees from the Chicago Musical College , Columbia School of Music and Vandercook School of Music . He also played in various pit orchestras in Chicago before accepting a high-school conducting job at Hobart High School in Hobart, Indiana , in 1925. Revelli transformed

112-638: A pitch pipe and began the instructions. “You sing from down in here, in your diaphragm . You bring it up from down here with feeling.” Then he blew the starting note on his pitch pipe. The players started, "Hail to the Victors, valiant –" Revelli interrupted, “No, No, No! That’s terrible! There’s no enthusiasm. You didn’t sing it without enthusiasm!” They started again, and Revelli interrupted again. “No, no, no! We’re gonna get this right if I’m here all night!” Schembechler thought so much of Revelli’s performance that he invited him back every year to teach

168-779: A National Band made up of high school students for several concerts during the Bicentennial celebrations. In 1975, the MENC set up the Bicentennial Commission and started planning the National High School Honors Band. 1 With the help of the MEJ (Music Educators Journal), high school band directors were asked to send in applications for only their best musicians who were at or near a professional level of skill to be considered for an audition. When

224-493: A bulwark against juvenile delinquency. He noted: "We keep our musicians too interested and busy to get into mischief." On another occasion, he noted, "Young music students have better things to do than get in trouble." Revelli recruited talented musicians to Michigan like a football coach recruited top athletes. Revelli required all male wind instrument majors to participate in the Marching Band. This requirement swelled

280-410: A duck may be somebody's mother, Be kind to your friends in the camp, Where the weather is always damp. You may think that this is the end, Well it's not, we are just teasing. There's something that you need to know, We're gonna sing it _______________, here we go. The blank may be filled with appropriate adjectives like "low", "high", "silly", "fast", etc., until ready for the finale, when

336-495: A good-time-Charlie business, and for me, the wonderful good times come out of hearing somebody play beautifully. I don't care if it's ‘ Stars and Stripes ,’ ‘ The Victors ’ or what it is. I mean, there's a pride. And this guy knows he's good! And nobody can take that away from him. When they play sloppy and don't care or don't know—a great many of them don't even know, they don't know how bad it is—they can be forgiven, but more they should be pitied.” Revelli also viewed school bands as

392-490: A position he held for 36 years. Revelli retired in 1972 and was director emeritus until his death in 1994, Under his direction, the Michigan Marching Band was acclaimed for its musical precision, intricate formations and high-stepping style. The Marching Band under Revelli was “the first to score original music to band shows, to synchronize music and movement, to use an announcer, to do a post-game show, and

448-468: A speech delivered to the Marching Band prior to its appearance at the 1965 Rose Bowl game (and published in its entirety in the October 1994 issue of Michigan’s alumni magazine Michigan Today ), Revelli said: "Demand of yourself! How much do you demand of yourself of what I'm talking about? Not even 10 percent, some of you. ... I want to know how you can dedicate yourself to your forthcoming positions in

504-610: A student who was only a junior at the time. His requirement for excellence were uncompromising for this most important event, the final performance of which would take place at the Kennedy Center. The music was chosen from great American composers, including Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa, Trittico by Vaclav Nelhybel, as well as The Star-Spangled Banner. Because William Revelli only conducted band and classical music he declined conducting Somewhere by Leonard Bernstein. George Roberts, " Mr. Bass Trombone" , accompanied

560-538: A swamp Where the weather is always damp. You may think that this is the end, Well it is, but to prove we're all liars, We're going to sing it again, Only this time we'll sing a little higher. And the song repeats itself ad infinitum, getting higher in tone each repeat until the singer is ready for the final as per Mitch Miller: You may think that this is the end, Well, it is! "Well, you're right!" may be substituted for "Well, it is!". Another version goes like this: Be kind to your web-footed friends For

616-455: A wider audience as a part of Mitch Miller 's nationally syndicated sing-along show, Sing Along with Mitch . This version has perhaps the best known lyrics, which were used to end every show: Be kind to your web-footed friends, For a duck may be somebody's mother. Be kind to your friends in the swamp, Where the weather is very, very damp, Now, you may think that this is the end, Well, it is! The last two lines were later used for

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672-455: Is a cross-country ski area located on Thompson Creek Road in northwestern Pitkin County, Colorado , six miles west of Carbondale, Colorado , USA. The ski area shares its name with a historical 19th and early 20th century coal mining townsite, Spring Gulch, which is in the vicinity mostly to the south of the ski area proper. The area is run by the non-profit Mount Sopris Nordic Council for

728-533: Is a patriotic American march written and composed by John Philip Sousa in 1896. By a 1987 act of the U.S. Congress , it is the official National March of the United States of America . In his 1928 autobiography, Marching Along , Sousa wrote that he composed the march on Christmas Day , 1896. Sousa was on board an ocean liner on his way home from a vacation with his wife in Europe and had just learned of

784-555: The John Church Company published a four-part choral version of the march with a piano arrangement by Elmer Arthur Tidmarsh. This arrangement has additional lyrics written by Tidmarsh for the Breakstrain section of the march. There is a parody of the lyrics to "The Stars and Stripes Forever" that begins "Be kind to your web-footed friends". Its exact origin is unclear, but versions of it were being quoted as early as

840-625: The Philadelphia Academy of Music , Boston Symphony Hall , and the Shrine Auditorium in Detroit. When Bo Schembechler was hired as Michigan’s football coach in 1969, Revelli was the first person to visit him when he arrived at his new office: “I’m in my office, and the first visitor that I get, the absolute first visitor is William D. Revelli.” Revelli sat down and said, “I want you to know that I coach my band exactly

896-765: The U.S. State Department , toured the Soviet Union , Romania , Egypt , Greece , and five other Near East countries for 15 weeks. One of the attendees at the USSR concert in Minsk , USSR - according to the Warren Commission report - was none other than Lee Harvey Oswald - the reported assassin of John F. Kennedy . On other tours, the Symphony Band under Revelli appeared at Carnegie Hall in New York ,

952-501: The Vince Lombardi of Ann Arbor because I just won't compromise. I'm intolerable when it comes to perfection. Sometimes I'm even downright mean about it." Revelli added that his pursuit of perfection was about more than the music: "This striving for perfection will carry over into other areas of their lives." In December 1964, Revelli described the guiding principles that he sought to instill into his students for 36 years. In

1008-466: The 1930s on college campuses, and during the 1940s, where it was sung for entertainment by soldiers at the USO. Some newspapers of that time referred to it as the "Duck Song." In 1954, Charles Grean and Joan Javits composed "Crazy Mixed Up Song", using these lyrics along with the march's theme. It was made somewhat popular by Peter Lind Hayes & Mary Healy in that year. In the early 1960s, it reached

1064-913: The College Band Directors National Association in 1947. Revelli also served as a President of the National Band Association and the American Bandmasters Association , and was named Honorary Life President of the CBDNA. For the United States 200th Birthday, Congress created the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration ;(ARBA) who tasked the MENC (Music Educators National Convention) with creating

1120-537: The Hobart High School Band into one of the best small high school bands in the country. He was music director at Hobart from 1925 to 1935, where his bands won either five or six national championships. In 1934, Revelli's Hobart band was invited to play at the World's Fair, and one newspaper reported: "William Revelli has developed his Hobart, Ind., class B band to a point where it is ranked by many with

1176-505: The National High School Honors Band as a soloist in Somewhere as it was nearly impossible for professional musicians. He agreed at Revelli's request even though Bill wasn't conducting Somewhere. The events were considered a great success due to the perfection demanded from William Revelli of the country's finest high school musicians and a fitting tribute to the nation. The success spurred "National High School Honors Bands" popping up across

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1232-601: The North. The South is represented by the famous piccolo obligato, and the West by the bold countermelody of the trombones. The three come together in the climax, representing the Union itself. The march is written for a standard full American concert band. On the page for The Stars and Stripes Forever on the official United States Marine Band website, under The Complete Marches of John Philip Sousa , additional parts are written in at

1288-515: The Trio (the Grandioso ) render the famous obligato of the piccolo players—joined to a subdued but prominent countermelody by the brass section, then bringing everything to a close with once-more repeats of the grand finale. Sousa explained to the press that the three themes of the final trio were intended to represent the three regions of the United States. The broad melody, or main theme, portrays

1344-660: The University of Michigan. These honors include: Revelli died of heart failure on July 16, 1994, at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor at age 92. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary, and his daughter, Rosemary Margaret Revelli Strong. He is survived by his grandson John William Revelli Strong and Kimberly (Strong) Snyder, and his great grandchildren Sara and William Snyder. He is interred at Washtenaw Memorial Park in Ann Arbor . Spring Gulch Spring Gulch

1400-402: The University. Starting in 1942, Revelli offered the “Small Wood-wind ensemble,” as a way to encourage wind chamber music. The vision of professor Revelli helped bring in teachers for every wind instrument and paved the way for the University of Michigan to become one of the premiere music institutions in the United States . In 1946, the band moved to Harris Hall . Revelli joked that the band

1456-553: The Western land. The emblem of the brave and true Its folds protect no tyrant crew; The red and white and starry blue Is freedom's shield and hope. Let eagle shriek from lofty peak The never-ending watchword of our land; Let summer breeze waft through the trees The echo of the chorus grand. Sing out for liberty and light, Sing out for freedom and the right. Sing out for Union and its might, O patriotic sons. Second strain 𝄆 Other nations may deem their flags

1512-438: The arrangements of individual band directors or orchestrators, especially regarding tempo and the number and sequence of strains employed. The march begins with a four-bar introduction , following with the first strain , which is repeated; then the second strain , which is also repeated; and sometimes both are repeated again if (the band is) marching in parade (or the breakstrain may be interjected and repeated). Now follows

1568-449: The band to travel to away games. In a show of appreciation, Revelli had the band line up in a “Buck – I” formation at the 1938 Ohio State game. Then, while playing Buick’s theme song, the letter "I" moved between the "u" and the "c" in "Buck" spelling out "Buick". The next morning, athletic director Fielding H. Yost reportedly called Revelli at his home at 2:00 a.m. and said: "Young man, never do that again!” Yost did not approve of

1624-415: The benefit of community members and visitors. Use of the area is free of cost and limited to cross-country skiing activities. The terrain consists primarily of rolling trails among gambel oak and aspen trees. Views of the nearby Mount Sopris and Elk Mountains are visible from some of the higher trails. The area was formed in cooperation with the local North Thompson Cattlemen's Association, which owns

1680-399: The best And cheer them with fervid elation But the flag of the North and South and West Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom's nation. 𝄇 Trio Hurrah for the flag of the free! May it wave as our standard forever, The gem of the land and the sea, The banner of the right. Let tyrants remember the day When our fathers with mighty endeavor Proclaimed as they marched to

1736-567: The best class A organizations from larger schools." In 1931, Revelli was paid a salary of $ 5,000 a year, a large sum at that time. In 1935 Revelli was hired by the University of Michigan as director of bands. Revelli almost decided against applying for the Michigan job because the pay was significantly lower than what he was earning in Hobart, but he did apply for and later accept the job,

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1792-472: The best current American conductor was discussed to direct the nations best high school musicians only one name was acceptable, William Revelli. Revelli was asked to conduct and accepted with amendments to the MENC plans for choosing students, among other caveats. While two exceptional senior high school students were to be chosen from every state, Revelli instead picked the best high school musicians, leaving multiple states without representatives and even choosing

1848-682: The bottom of the downloadable score . These parts are from Sousa's Encore Book, and are handwritten for "Drums & Bells" and harp. Sousa wrote the lyrics to the piece, although they are not as familiar as the music itself. A typical pairing of Sousa's lyrics with various sections of the march—here the First strain and the Grandioso strain—is noted in the colored bars. First strain Let martial note in triumph float And liberty extend its mighty hand A flag appears 'mid thunderous cheers, The banner of

1904-523: The circus, this piece is called "the Disaster March". In the early 20th century, when it was common for theaters and circuses to have house bands, this march was a traditional code signaling a life-threatening emergency. It subtly notified personnel of emergency situations and ideally allowed them to organize the audience's exit without causing the chaos and panic that an overt declaration might. Except for impending disaster, circus bands never played

1960-662: The country in the years following the 1976 Bicentennial, although none are considered to be close to the success of Revelli's Bicentennial Band. In the 1970s, Revelli headed a school in Glion/Montreux Switzerland called the Revelli International School of Music. High School students from various states attended for a short time and then toured through various countries in Europe. Revelli received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to marching band music, music education, and

2016-468: The day. And I don't only mean 5 minutes of 10; I mean 10 minutes out of 10; I mean 60 minutes out of an hour, 24 hours a day, at least all of your waking hours. ... I don't want it just about right! To me, just about right is terrible! ... Now, nobody's killed when you play a half-note as a dotted quarter. But you might, from learning to play a half-note a full half-note, make the difference in the lives of 50,000 little kids. ... You don't piddle with music—it's

2072-621: The direction of Revelli. By the 1960s, the number of Band Day participants had grown to more than 14,000. Revelli was also the Chairman of the Instrumental Winds Department at the University of Michigan. He was an advocate within the School of Music for wind music. Aside from directing the large ensembles, Revelli promoted chamber music as well as the importance of private instruction on each student’s wind instrument at

2128-409: The dominant woodwinds in the first run of the famous Trio strain —familiar to many for the nonsense lyrics : "Be kind to your web-footed friends..."—which repeats, and later repeats again as the piccolos obligato . (Here, in some performances, Sousa's patriotic lyrics may be sung in a choral overlay.) Then follows the breakstrain, the final strain, and the breakstrain repeated. The final repeats of

2184-402: The first to host a high school Band Day.” Known on Michigan’s campus as “The Chief,” Revelli was known as a tough taskmaster. Revelli had a fierce dedication to excellence and drilled the desire for perfection into his band students. One former band member recalled that the “sequence of our attitudes toward him often went from fear to anger to respect to awe to reverence.’” Another recalled: “He

2240-404: The fray That by their might and by their right It waves forever. Grandioso Hurrah for the flag of the free. May it wave as our standard forever The gem of the land and the sea, The banner of the right. Let tyrants remember the day When our fathers with mighty endeavor Proclaimed as they marched to the fray, That by their might and by their right It waves forever. In 1942

2296-420: The freshmen at Yost Field House , and Revelli entered in full uniform – described by Schembechler as "a lean, short, distinguished-looking older gentleman—a band director right out of central casting." Revelli rose to the podium, tapped his baton , looked right into their eyes and said, " John Philip Sousa called this the greatest fight song ever written. And you will sing it with respect!" Revelli brought out

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2352-425: The freshmen what Michigan tradition was about. Schembechler recalled, “He was absolutely great, and the freshmen absolutely loved it. And let me tell you, every one of those freshmen came out of that session with Revelli knowing ‘The Victors.’ They knew the words, they knew how to sing it, and they knew how to emphasize the right spots. They flat out knew how to do it. And it was only because he came over there with

2408-399: The idea that those guys were going to come out of that meeting room knowing how to sing this fight song the right way or else! And they did. That was Bill Revelli.” The admiration between Revelli and Schembechler was mutual. In a 1970 interview, Revelli compared himself and his training methods to those of Schembechler. "Bo and I speak the same language. Psychologically, our practices are

2464-535: The injection of commercial advertising onto the college football field. Revelli was also dedicated to furthering musical education in high schools. He regularly toured the Midwest offering band clinics in small towns and big cities. In 1949, Revelli held the first Band Day at Michigan Stadium . Twenty-nine high school bands marched into the stadium and played with the Michigan Marching Band under

2520-808: The land and uses it for summer grazing, during which time it is closed to all recreational use. Notable annual events include the Ski for Sisu fundraiser, the Alpine Bank Classic high school Junior Olympic qualifiers, and the Colorado Rocky Mountain School Rat Race. Spring Gulch is the primary training ground for the Nordic team at CRMS . 39°21′17″N 107°17′58″W  /  39.35472°N 107.29944°W  / 39.35472; -107.29944 Stars and Stripes Forever " The Stars and Stripes Forever "

2576-589: The musical world, when you can't dedicate yourself right now to what you're doing in a simple little march. ... The world is full of people who do things just about right. Just about. And a few on the top do them just right—most of the time. Nobody's perfect! When are you going to start to demand of yourself what I demand of myself? When are you going to be as uncompromising with what you do as I am uncompromising in what I hear and what I insist on? When? Are you waiting for some miracle? The miracle will be when you demand of yourself everything you've got of yourself. That'll be

2632-445: The number of students in the Marching Band. Revelli was also known for his use of new music in his performances, often commissioning new pieces. Another innovation during Revelli’s years as band director was the introduction of dance steps. The tradition began with a dance routine to the tune Alexander's Ragtime Band which proved to be a big hit with the crowd. In the 1930s, General Motors divisions, Buick and Chevrolet , paid for

2688-537: The recent death of David Blakely, the manager of the Sousa Band. He composed the march in his head and committed the notes to paper on arrival in the United States. It was first performed at the Philadelphia Academy of Music on May 14, 1897, and was immediately greeted with enthusiasm. Following an Act of Congress in 1987, it was officially adopted as the national march of the United States of America. Historically, in show business and particularly in theater and

2744-440: The same way you coach your football team. We’ll have discipline, and we’ll do it the way it’s supposed to be done!” Revelli added, "Anything you need from me or the band, all you need to do is ask." When the freshmen arrived in the fall of 1969, Schembechler asked Revelli to teach them how to sing "The Victors." Schembechler said, “He didn't just teach them ‘The Victors.’ He taught them Michigan tradition!” Schembechler gathered

2800-443: The same. Both the team and the band have to perfect their fundamentals before they can do anything else. And both need proper warmups to stay in shape in the off-season. Sometimes we'll spend 45 minutes on calisthenics of the embouchure (perfecting the position of the lips on the mouthpiece of an instrument). I had one boy come back who hadn't practiced all summer. His lips were about six months behind everyone else's." Revelli

2856-549: The singer may end with "Well, it is!" as did Mitch Miller. " Here We Go ", the British soccer chant , consists of the words "here we go" continuously repeated to the tune of "The Stars and Stripes Forever". It was described by Auberon Waugh as the national anthem of the working classes . It was the basis of Everton F.C. 's official song for the 1984 FA Cup Final . The tune has been repurposed for many other, similarly repetitive, football chants. "The Stars and Stripes Forever"

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2912-454: The theme song of the 1985 television series The Berenstain Bears , but with the lyrics changed to: You may think that this starts our show, Well, it does! Later versions of "Be kind to your web-footed friends" extended the lyrics of the second verse. One popular version goes like this: Be kind to your web-footed friends For that duck may be somebody's mother, She lives in a nest in

2968-464: The tune under any circumstances. One memorable example of its use was during the Hartford circus fire of July 6, 1944. At least 168 people were killed, though some estimates are much higher. "The Stars and Stripes Forever" follows the standard U.S. military march form —of repeated phrasing of different melodies performed in sections called strains : a Sousa legacy. Performances vary according to

3024-512: Was a tyrant who was feared by many, and an educator revered by all.” One of his students from the 1940s recalled the same emotions but noted: “I learned more about music-making in that little class ... than I had learned in my prior 12 years of private lessons.” It has been said that, if asked, “nearly every student who played under Revelli could vividly recount some memory of him; he left a lasting impression on everyone with whom he crossed paths.” Interviewed in 1970, Revelli said: "I've been called

3080-482: Was making "progress" as it moved from a building built in 1854—Morris Hall—to one built in 1888. The large upstairs room with its plaster walls and wooden floor provided the perfect acoustical setting for a band rehearsal. Revelli later said the "Michigan Band sound" was in part due to the perfect acoustics of Harris Hall and Hill Auditorium . In 1961, Revelli and the U-M Symphony Band, under sponsorship of

3136-559: Was the founder of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) in 1941. The CBDNA began as a committee of the Music Educators National Conference (MENC). In the fall of 1938 that committee, under the leadership of Revelli, met independently in Chicago. The group met again in December 1941 and formed the University and College Band Conductors Conference. The name of the organization was changed to

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