Strike Up the
Band
Band festival will feature SF alumni band members and majorettes .
BY PAUL GLASSER
W hen Marsha McFalls discovered there ’ s
no official record of the South Fayette high school majorettes , she decided to research it herself .
Earlier this year , McFalls , a 1991 graduate of South Fayette , began asking questions about the majorettes ’ traditions and legacy . She was a majorette for four years including head majorette for three years . She ’ s collected old uniforms , scanned photographs , conducted interviews and built a website to share the information .
“ It took on a life of its own ,” McFalls explains . “ I want to build memories for future generations .”
She hopes the upcoming alumni band performance at the South Fayette Band Festival on Oct . 7 will stimulate interest in the project . About 60 former band members and eight majorettes participated in the last performance five years ago . McFalls hopes for similar turnout this year , because most of the alumni still live in the area . “ We old South Fayetters stay here ,” McFalls laughs . “ We don ’ t move away .”
However , some alumni do live near Philadelphia or in Ohio , and haven ’ t been able to attend practices for the performance . McFalls found a way for them to participate by placing an iPad on a tripod and using the FaceTime app to broadcast the rehearsals . “ It was a neat experience ,” she says .
As a youngster , McFalls saw majorettes perform in local parades and on TV . She decided to teach herself how to twirl a baton at age 11 , and then her mother decided to pay for private lessons . “ I thought it looked like a lot of fun ,” she explains .
She became a majorette with the Little Green Machine Marching Band when she entered high school . The next year , she auditioned for head majorette and held that position until she graduated in 1991 . She was responsible for planning the majorette routines and learned a lot about leadership . The band director , John Testa , taught students about life as well as music . She learned to work hard and persevere . “ It paved the way for my career choices and where I am today ,” McFalls says . “ Band was one of the important things that shaped me .”
She attended Duquesne University where she studied pharmacy and helped revive the Pride of Duquesne Marching Band . McFalls participated as a majorette and also sponsored the group after she graduated . She also completed her doctorate in pharmacy at Duquesne and obtained a master ’ s degree in education . McFalls is now an assistant professor of pharmacy at Duquesne and the director of educational technology for the
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