Page 19 - Bands on The Hill

INTRODUCTION

It has been over twenty-five years since the first attempt at documenting some of the early history, events, directors, and student
musicians of the band and instrumental music programs at Florida A&M University in book form. In 1996, “America’s Band of Legend: A
Pictorial Collection on Bands at Florida A&M University, 1892-1996” was printed initially to present historical information and
photographs commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of William P. Foster as the director of bands at Florida A&M University. The work of
researching and organizing numerous documents and photographs not readily-available, centralized, and lost due to dislocation and
fires during the early years of the university, presented an exceedingly labor-intensive and challenging task. However, the information
and photographs discovered provided a much clearer understanding of the growth and development of the band and instrumental
music programs – one of the oldest – at the university over the years.

First organized in 1892 by Phillip Amos von Weller, a musician of German descent, the first band or instrumental music
organization was a group of mostly strings, wind, and percussion instruments. Since that time and when a leader could be found, the
musical organizations have been led by such visionary directors as Nathaniel C. Adderley (1910), Herman Spearing (1912), Arnold Lee,
Sr. (1924-1928), Captain W. Carey Thomas (1928-1932), Leander A. Kirksey, Jr. (1932-1945), J. Richmond Johnson (1945-1946), William
P. Foster (1946-1998), Julian E. White (1998-2012), Sylvester Young (2013-2016), and Shelby R. Chipman (2016). The band and
instrumental music programs have continued to not only play a major role in the cultural, social, religious, athletic, and ceremonial
events at the university, but also serve as an exemplary model for other music programs throughout the United States.

“Bands on “The Hill,” A Pictorial History of Bands at Florida A&M University” is another attempt at presenting a history of the band
and instrumental music programs at Florida A&M University. Additionally, the inclusion of appendices further provides historical
information with a chronology of selected notable events, a table of directors and staff, and proclamations and resolutions. It is important
to note that while efforts to document most of the available history of the band and instrumental music programs, this edition is not
intended to be a definitive or comprehensive source on the entire history of the programs at the university. I am, however, grateful to
God, the numerous individuals, photographers, archives, libraries, offices, and organizations for their valuable time, information, and
contributions provided for this edition.

Finally, in producing this edition of “Bands on “The Hill,” A Pictorial History of Bands at Florida A&M University,” it is hoped that its
contents will add to the limited body of literature on the history of the band and instrumental music programs at American colleges and
universities, especially, Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Dale A. Thomas
Editor
Harmonie Publications, LLC

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