Class Note 1981
Issue
January-February 2021
Everyone lives in a small town for now. Quarantine makes certain of that. Whether in a metropolis or not, contacts are infrequent and limited. Yet music is the fount of the soul. Rhythm and rhyme, beat and symphony both tie us together and allow our minds to roam. Though we missed Woodstock, we came of age in a seminal and fertile period of music.When queried, the class of ’81 sent in musical remembrances from our shared, small-town college life.
Nancy Green Oey wrote thoughtfully, “I have two strong memories. First was being a part of Dartmouth’s Gospel Choir and singing music that I had never sung before. It made me happy. It was also a newfound connection to my heritage. Second was hearing ‘Appalachian Spring’ performed at the Hopkins Center. Dartmouth’s rural setting and surrounding nature made the piece come alive for me.”
For Lynn Peterson Read, “Oscar Peterson’s concert at the Hop was a treasure of my years in Hanover. His piano jazz was wonderful. Second, I always enjoyed Barbary Coast performances, with its big, warm sound. Although I listen to other styles of music more often now, these two memories of jazz are a big part of my Dartmouth soundtrack.”
Claudia Sweeney Weed and Pat Berry both recall the inspiring concert by Dolly Parton. Tracy Bennett “loved Kenny Loggins and ‘Celebrate Me Home’ freshman fall” along with Hans Helmerich and Veronica Wessels.
Linda Gundal responded, “Unforgettable: Pat Metheny Group (at that time new on the scene) opening for Jean-Luc Ponty—in Spaulding no less!—and PDQ Bach, where I convinced non-classical-music friends to join me and sweetened the offer with a pre-DQ punch and we all dressed smooth.” Quintessential green machiney!
Mark Hansson reminisced, “New York Dolls with David Johansen in Spaulding Auditorium; Grateful Dead in Thompson Arena without Jerry Garcia; the Rev. Al Green in Spaulding Auditorium.” Beth Tonneson and Molly Sundberg Van Meter were some of the most enthusiastic fans to sleep out overnight at the Hop for tickets. Sue Reed and Julie Koeninger were charmed by Harry Chapin and Santana.
John Sconzo recalls McCoy Tyner. And there was Boston, Jerry Jeff Walker, Marshall Tucker Band, Pousette-Dart Band. Sue Reed remembered Dizzy Gillespie. And Greg Clow reminded us that there were bands among us, such as Any Nuisance, including classmates Andy Churchill, Jeff Gundlach, Paul Duder, and Dave Holden. “Great music, great friends, and great times!” As I recall Vaughn Halyard banged a mean drum set back in the day.
Then there is the Ted Hibben one-song reduct: “singing ‘Roxanne’ at the pong table!” Fun. The overarching lesson is clear: Rock on classmates, pandemic or not, in your small town. Turn up the inspiration level to 11.
—Emil Miskovsky, P.O. Box 2162, North Conway, NH 03860; emilmiskovsky@gmail.com; Ann Jacobus Kordahl, 2434 Leavenworth St., San Francisco, CA 94133; ajkordahl@gmail.com
Nancy Green Oey wrote thoughtfully, “I have two strong memories. First was being a part of Dartmouth’s Gospel Choir and singing music that I had never sung before. It made me happy. It was also a newfound connection to my heritage. Second was hearing ‘Appalachian Spring’ performed at the Hopkins Center. Dartmouth’s rural setting and surrounding nature made the piece come alive for me.”
For Lynn Peterson Read, “Oscar Peterson’s concert at the Hop was a treasure of my years in Hanover. His piano jazz was wonderful. Second, I always enjoyed Barbary Coast performances, with its big, warm sound. Although I listen to other styles of music more often now, these two memories of jazz are a big part of my Dartmouth soundtrack.”
Claudia Sweeney Weed and Pat Berry both recall the inspiring concert by Dolly Parton. Tracy Bennett “loved Kenny Loggins and ‘Celebrate Me Home’ freshman fall” along with Hans Helmerich and Veronica Wessels.
Linda Gundal responded, “Unforgettable: Pat Metheny Group (at that time new on the scene) opening for Jean-Luc Ponty—in Spaulding no less!—and PDQ Bach, where I convinced non-classical-music friends to join me and sweetened the offer with a pre-DQ punch and we all dressed smooth.” Quintessential green machiney!
Mark Hansson reminisced, “New York Dolls with David Johansen in Spaulding Auditorium; Grateful Dead in Thompson Arena without Jerry Garcia; the Rev. Al Green in Spaulding Auditorium.” Beth Tonneson and Molly Sundberg Van Meter were some of the most enthusiastic fans to sleep out overnight at the Hop for tickets. Sue Reed and Julie Koeninger were charmed by Harry Chapin and Santana.
John Sconzo recalls McCoy Tyner. And there was Boston, Jerry Jeff Walker, Marshall Tucker Band, Pousette-Dart Band. Sue Reed remembered Dizzy Gillespie. And Greg Clow reminded us that there were bands among us, such as Any Nuisance, including classmates Andy Churchill, Jeff Gundlach, Paul Duder, and Dave Holden. “Great music, great friends, and great times!” As I recall Vaughn Halyard banged a mean drum set back in the day.
Then there is the Ted Hibben one-song reduct: “singing ‘Roxanne’ at the pong table!” Fun. The overarching lesson is clear: Rock on classmates, pandemic or not, in your small town. Turn up the inspiration level to 11.
—Emil Miskovsky, P.O. Box 2162, North Conway, NH 03860; emilmiskovsky@gmail.com; Ann Jacobus Kordahl, 2434 Leavenworth St., San Francisco, CA 94133; ajkordahl@gmail.com