Northampton Area High School - Amptennian Yearbook (Northampton, PA)

Page 18 text:

Ennllulztnr 1 DR. GEORGE A. EICIZILER . Superintendent , The conductor of a symphony has a clual responsibility. First of all, it is his duty, through interpretive genius and the meclium of his expressive baton, to thrill his audience by ei awing the maximum of beauty out of the musicians before him. His other phase of responsibility, which is just as important, if not more so, than the first, is to carry out and aclminister the policies of the symphony sponsors. This often calls for assistance even in establishing policy, for the concluctor is usually more familiar with details than anyone else. The administration of a school system such Page 10 as this one can, in many respects, be said to parallel closely the difficult taslc of the sym- phony conoluctor, anol, We find in Dr. Eichler, a man who has been successfully and capably shoulciering the enormous responsibilities which the office oi superintendent entails. Although not a musician, he is a music lover, and is especially ioncl of the semi-classics ancl light opera. Highly progressive, he is clecicleclly in favor oi the 'expancleci school music program: in fact, he is ciecicietily in favor of anything for the benefit of the schools or the community in general, in Whose service most of his out of school hours are spent.

Page 17 text:

Spnnsurs Gallierf-rl ahout a reacting tahic in the lihrary during a regular session are rnemloers ut the hoard ot education. Reading Clock- wisc, they are Ray S. Santee, president ttar rightig Claude E. Vlqroxc-il, secretary: Dr. Clayton V. Spangler, treasurer: Dr. George A. Eichler, superintcmlc-nt: Howard G. Rauheniiold, R ussei S. lVioyer, vice president: Charles H. Newliarcl and Ralph E. BRl'iil0i0T'llCXY. When seated in the concert hall, drinicing in the celestial strains ot heautiiul harmony which come pouring forth from strings and hells of instruments, one never thinks ot the symphony orchestra as heing highly organized husiness enterprise. Yet, precisely, that is what it is. Tours and concerts must he arranged lrom a standpoint of financial teasiloilityg musicians, arrangers, copyists and other employees of the organization must he paid, and music and other supplies and equipment must he pur- chased and maintained. Responsihility for all these vital Hhehind the scenesy' details rests in the hands of the sym- phony sponsors, or hoard of trustees, and it is to this ioody that we lilcen the hoard oi educa- tion. These are the men, then, who are charged with the Financial solvency of the school dis- trict, the purchase, repair and maintenance ol supplies and equipment, and with estahlishing not only the policies within the schools them- selves, lout also with relation to the school and the community. ' These are also the men, who, realizing the tremendous universal influence of music, lent it their support hy providing for a program ol instrumental training which reaches down to the iourth grade, supplementing the vocal pro- gram heginning in the kindergarten, elztective this year. VVith an eye constantly tixed on progress and the tulure, the hoard, heeding the initial trickle of advance intormation on a coming statewide emphasis on safety and driver edu- cation, has already concluded details for in- clusion ot this subject in next term's curriculum. Among a score ot other accomplishments, the directorate is in the mild-planning stage of a longarange program designed to anticipate tu- turc educational needs. Page 15 V r

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.. ,nr Enncerl-Meister NORMAN A. LAUB An accomplished violinist in his own right, Mr. Lauio is iiteraiiy, as Weil as figuratively, a concert-meister, and We find, in delving through hack numioers oi this volume that, in his student years here, he was First chair violinist in the high school orchestra. Recently, however, he has had to iay aside his heioved instrument in assuming the re- sponsibility for administering hoth the junior and the senior high schoois, which iast year began a merging process, now compiete, from an administrative viewpoint. Young, capahie and efficient, We find in Mr. Lauh a true con- cert-meister, iceeniy attuned to the many sounds and iniiuences emitted by his schools. Principal . Ranking a ciose second to the conductor oi a symphony in importance is the concert-meis- ter. This individual, of necessity, must know as much aioout the orchestra and its components as the conductor, ior, in the aiosence oi the maestro, he must he prepared to take up the ioaton. in many cases he is an understudyfoi the director. . The concert-meister is the ieading violinist oi the symphony orchestra, and as such, must ioe thoroughly familiar with every whim and gesture oi the conductors haton. He is the pivot upon Whom the entire organization turns, for ali other musicians depend upon his guidance in interpreting the conductor,s desires. Page I7 'MT J Ii- 1 i 1 ,il