Musical remembrance of the World War II era

[Doug Kerr]

This past weekend, Carla and I attended a wonderful concert at a local Weatherford "variety house", the Texas Opry Theater. Billed as a "USO event", it featured a 23-piece "big band" from nearby Granbury, Texas, mostly doing classic numbers from the World War Ii era. There were a number of veterans in attendance, in authentic period uniforms (and with their wives or daughters sporting period hairdos), and lots of military memorabilia on display.

Then band has an interesting connection. Tarleton State University, a part of the Texas A&M University system, is located in Stephenville, about 60 miles southwest of Fort Worth. Although its emphasis is in agricultural business and technology, it has an important music program.

Granbury, Texas, a town of about 6000, is about halfway between the University and Fort Worth (not too far from Weatherford). In Granbury is the University's Dora Lee Langdon Cultural and Educational Center, an outpost whose purpose is to stimulate and support cultural activities in the Granbury area. One of its arms is the Langdon Center Big Band, a volunteer band of mostly "mature" musicians.

Here we see Janice Horak, Director of the Landon Center and a key figure in a number of musical organizations of the region, as she attempts to evoke memories of Lawrence Welk, who was himself quite an exponent of the music of the World War II era. Her weapon was not fully fit for this form of combat, and I was not sure that she and I would have a "hit" at the same time.

Douglas A. Kerr: Janice Horak channels Lawrence Welk
Full Exif and IPTC metadata embedded​

I'll have more shots from this wonderful event over the next little while.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Charles L Webster]

Doug wrote

Lawrence Welk, who was himself quite an exponent of the music of the World War II era.​

The correct word is "proponent" not exponent. ;-)

Sorry, the wordsmith in me slipped out

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Hi Chas,

Doug wrote

Lawrence Welk, who was himself quite an exponent of the music of the World War II era.​

The correct word is "proponent" not exponent. ;-)

Sorry, the wordsmith in me slipped out

When it comes to Doug and the choice of words, I wouldn´t be too sure myself, lol. He may really have used exponent, as in: speaking for, advocating, representing.

@Doug: lovely picture. Your timing was quite good imo. Thanks for sharing it and the story.

 

[Ron Morse]

@Doug: lovely picture. Your timing was quite good imo. Thanks for sharing it and the story.

I agree.

This brings back memories. I remember my parents had to watch Lawrence Welk's television show every week. Looking back it seems like yesterday. Thanks for taking me back with your story and picture.

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Charles,

Doug wrote

Lawrence Welk, who was himself quite an exponent of the music of the World War II era.​

The correct word is "proponent" not exponent. ;-)

Sorry, the wordsmith in me slipped out

I used exponent not exactly in this sense, as given in the American Heritage Dictionary:

2. One that speaks for, represents, or advocates: Our senator is an exponent of free trade.​

but with the sense, quite common in editorial usage, of one who regularly makes use of a certain thing.

The same dictionary gives this for proponent:

One who argues in support of something; an advocate.​

So, under the dictionary definitions, exponent (in the sense above) would appear to be essentially a synonym of proponent.

But in fact there is a long history of using exponent to not mean one who advocates or speaks on behalf of. It is commonly used in reportage to mean someone who actually and notably practices the thing of interest, even if not actually "speaking in its favor".

And that was the sense in which I used the term.

I doubt if Lawrence Welk ever "argued in favor of" World War II era music. How might he do that - encourage people to go to concerts, or suggest that other bands play more of it? Lobby Congress to not make it illegal?

Thanks for writing.

Best regards,

Doug