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The
Garland City Gazette
TED
MESANG
By Jim Goeltz
For 24 years Ted
Mesang was music at Ashland. He accepted a position at Ashland high school
in 1924 as music director and stayed until 1948. From Eau Claire, Ted
graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in music. Ted
could play most any instrument, being qualified with a B-flat clarinet as
well as a slide trombone, a trumpet and the drums. Ted came to Ashland
high when there was no organized band. Even though Ashland had always
been known as a music city, the high school had no music program. Ashland
high didn’t even have a pep song. Ted changed all that.
In 1924 Ashland
high had what was called the Largest Boys Band and it began to practice in
the high school building. The boys were directed by Ted Mesang and after
some time of practicing the group was organized as the Ashland high school
band. Such an organization was comparatively new in the high school but its
success was soon noted. Ted practiced the band after school hours but was
soon given their own room in the Latimer Building. After that the band
practiced during regular school hours and eventually band became a part of
the curriculum.
Ted Mesang
awakened everyone in school to the abilities of a band. Ted himself was
solo clarinetist in the Northwoods Band, a loosely run organization of
musicians in Ashland. Ted gained the trust and admiration of the high
school faculty and the school board which recognized the value of music.
Finding that
Ashland high didn’t have a pep song, Ted sat down and composed the music
and the lyrics -----
“Go you Ashland we’ll fight for
you,
Our colors waving purple and gold,
And we will stand forever true our Ashland
On to victory, Our Team So Bold!
Come on boys, sing a song for our Ashland high,
Her fame will ever be.
So call out the cry, ONWARD ASHLAND HIGH
Cheer on to victory!”
To this
day, Go You Ashland, rings out at high school football and basketball games.
Ted was not finished. Next he organized and led the
junior high school band, which was composed of 8th and 9th
graders. These young musicians were groomed to take their future places in
Ted’s senior high band. The junior high band was organized in 1930. Next
came uniforms for the junior high band.
In 1935 Ted
thought that we needed even younger musicians. He organized a grade school
band, consisting of kids in the 5th and 6th grades of
Ashland high school grades. Ted taught them all. The annual Spring
music festival for the area was always held in Ashland. Bands and choir
members came from all over north Wisconsin to compete. At the end of the
day all visiting bands paraded down Ashland’s main street from east to
west. The late day sun played into the musicians’ eyes, so Ted changed the
parade route to march west to east. Bands from Hurley, Ironwood, Park
Falls, Washburn, Bayfield, Iron River, Phillips all marched in the parade.
The parade was led by Ted marching with the grade school band. Once past
the reviewing stand by Ellis Avenue, Ted would hop in a car and return to 9th
Avenue West where the parade started and march with the junior high band.
Ted repeated the process, marching last with his senior high band.
In the late 1930s
Ted also assisted in organizing and teaching the American Legion Drum and
Bugle Corps which was under the leadership of Walt Bowron. This band
played in Ashland for the state American Legion convention in 1936. Ted
also organized and led the Ashland City Band which in the summer played
Wednesday night band concerts in the band shell on Front Street. With the
sun setting in the west over the Bay it was pleasant to sit and listen to
Ted’s music. The seats in front of the band shell were full. Many, many
people would come out for these concerts, enjoyed the music, and those in
their autos parked on the street would honk their horns after each number.
Ted was also a
composer. He wrote over 200 compositions during his career, some under the
name of ‘MacDuff’, one of his favorite names. One of his most stirring
marches was Men of Wisconsin.
I do not recall
anyone in school, whether it be superintendent, teacher, or student who ever
addressed Ted as ‘Mr Mesang’. It was always just Ted. Ted had an old
1938 Plymouth sedan and one could always see a tuba or a bass drum in the
back seat. Ted was also an avid sportsman. He was a deer hunter and a
fisherman. When I was a boy many times he would flip a quarter to me and
simply said, “A can of worms, please.” He and my Dad were best of friends;
they went deer hunting and fishing together.
Ted continued on
with his music practice at Ashland high into the 1940s. In 1947 he went to
Madison and obtained a master’s degree in band. In 1948 Ted left Ashland
and became assistant director at Oregon State University. Ted did a lot
for Ashland music. He was a perfect gentleman. He married Evelyn Thynes,
the daughter of Walt, one of the high school janitors. I never played
for Ted but knew him personally as a kind, considerate, compassionate man.
A leader. I’m sure the many students that tooted a horn or beat a drum
for him would say the same thing.
In
one corner of the Ashland band shell there hangs a plaque in honor of Ted.
It reads as follows:
“Theodore “Ted”
Mesang, Dec 7 1901 – Oct 26 1967. Ted Mesang was one of America’s foremost
composers and music educators. He wrote more than 200 musical compositions
and books of band music and was one of the first experts in marching
formations. Termed the ‘Father of high school bands’, from 1930 to 1948.
He developed and directed the high school orchestra, the grade school and
junior high bands, as well as the Ashland City Band, inspiring many young
people to pursue musical careers. In 1952, Mesang was elected to the
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Ted left a rich
legacy of fine band music to the high school and college bands of the United
States. Ashland owes much to his musical genius and leadership.”
The plaque sums it
up nicely. Thank you, Ted!
(Thanks to Betty Berthiaume
who did research on this article.)
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