Nearly 60 years ago, in the fall of 1947, a small group of dedicated parents and citizens convinced Vladamir Johnson, a Russian interpreter and part-time music teacher from Washington, DC to rehearse a group of fifteen fledgling musicians in the then rural town of Herndon, Virginia. From those humble beginnings, one of the finest high school bands in the country was founded.

Jo Ann Skinner, Vice President of the Herndon High School Band Parents Association (HHSBPA) says, "Herndon High is proud to have the oldest established high school band in Fairfax County. Not only are we the oldest, but we're one of the best!" Skinner went on to explain that the band program has been awarded the Sudler Flag of Honor, which recognizes "particularly high standards of excellence in concert activities" and is only given to the most elite high school bands in the nation. "In fact," Skinner noted, "fewer than 60 high schools in the nation have received this award since its inception in 1983."

As part of their 60th anniversary celebration, the HHSBPA is in the process of replacing their 30-year-old concert uniforms and is seeking contributions to a uniform fund. "Our concert uniforms were purchased in 1976 and they look it," says Karen Menatti, one of the uniform coordinators. "Not only are they out-dated, but they're falling apart! It's definitely time to replace them."

"It would be wonderful to have our students outfitted in brand new, updated uniforms for our anniversary concert next fall," said Richard Bergman, Director of Bands at Herndon High School . It would also be meaningful to Bergman as he says good-bye to a band he has directed for 30 years. Bergman is retiring at the end of the 2008 school year. "Being better today than we were yesterday is part of the Herndon High Band motto," said Bergman. "Leaving this band looking as good as they sound on the concert stage is important to me," Bergman added.

The HHSBPA is in the planning stages of the anniversary celebration and is looking to hear from band alumni to share their memories and photos of the time they spent in band at Herndon High School. Band alumni and band alumni parents are invited to send an e-mail to memories@herndonband.org. Please include your name (and maiden name, if applicable), the years you were in band, and your favorite band stories. We'll be sharing some of them in upcoming articles.

Tax-deductible contributions to the concert uniform fund may be sent to: HHSBPA, P.O. Box 1293, Herndon, VA 20172. Checks should be made out to "HHSBPA" with 'Uniform Fund' on the memo line.

Updated 03/19/2008

Updated 07/08/2008