Sour Note Turns Sweet for Marching Band

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Cody High School marching band is back in step after the White House did an about-face last week.

Last month, the band’s hopes for a spot in President Clinton’s inaugural parade were dashed after the people of Cody had spent three months raising $100,000 for the trip with popcorn and bake sales, raffles and odd jobs. The Jackson Hole High School was selected instead--even though it didn’t have a marching band.

Last Wednesday, however, White House spokesman Mike McCurry said Clinton himself ordered the Cody marching band to be invited to the Jan. 20 parade after reading about the youngsters’ disappointment in the Washington Post.

Although the 100-member band will not necessarily march, inaugural planners are “working furiously” to find them a role, McCurry said.

The news was welcomed by Cody band members and others in the town of 8,000.

“Our students and our town said, ‘We want to go, we want to be seen, we’re quality,’ ” School Supt. Alan Hafer said.

Jenni Conning, a student who sold raffle tickets, popcorn and coupon books for the trip, said she was happy about going to Washington but would be happier once the band learns its precise role in the inaugural ceremonies.

The Cody marching band had mistaken an unofficial nomination by Republican Gov. Jim Geringer as a definite invitation--an error that became plain Dec. 18 when the inaugural committee chose the 30-member Jackson Hole band.

The school in Jackson Hole, a favorite vacation spot of the president, had been nominated last month by Bob Schuster, a local lawyer and member of the Democratic National Committee. He said he didn’t know that Cody had been nominated.

The Cody band was already practicing two selections from Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show and had made its reservations when the bad news came.

“People in Wyoming have a real sense of fairness, and we didn’t think it was very fair. We thought if anybody from Wyoming should be going, it should be us,” said Terry Arnold, the parent of a band member and president of the Cody High School Band Boosters.

Kiki Moore, a spokeswoman for the inaugural committee, said the Jackson band was selected because of its unique style. The parade isn’t limited to marching bands.

“Clearly the Jackson band, with their jazz, mixed in overall with what we wanted for the parade,” she said. The committee received about 325 applications for 24 spots in the parade, Moore said.

The Jackson Hole school will have to combine its jazz and concert bands for the parade and come up with uniforms. The students spent the Christmas vacation learning how to march.

Wednesday’s news sent the Cody band back to the practice field too.

“We’re very excited about that,” band director Derek Spitzer said. “I have my drum major rehearsing the band right now. We haven’t been outside marching since we found out we weren’t invited.”