Sad News: Jerry will be missed

 

Jerry reviewing a take with Ron

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of our long-time recording engineer and good friend of The Allentown Band, Jerry Tyson.

Jerry was the recording engineer and editor for all thirty-two volumes of The Allentown Band's "Our Band Heritage" series, a project that started in 1984 with vinyl 33-1/3 rpm records, transitioned to cassette tapes, and finally to compact discs "CDs", which were produced with his AMP label. These recordings have reached listeners in all fifty states and twenty-three foreign countries.

My relationship with Jerry actually began in 1968, when he recorded the very first annual Spring Concert by the Freedom High School Patriot Band in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For decades, Jerry also recorded all of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association's District 10 Band, Orchestra and Chorus concerts, so our paths crossed many times during my thirty-two year tenure at FHS and at these PMEA Festivals.

We will miss Jerry and remember him fondly. RIP Jerry.

Ron Demkee, December 19, 2021

 * * *

On January 5, 2018 at the District Band Concert, we asked Jerry to remove his headphones and step "on stage" so we could honor him for serving PMEA District 10 for 50 Years! After extensive research (and the secretive assistance of Jerry's wife Jodi) we discovered that Jerry's first recording in District 10 (known as "PMEA Eastern District" at that time) was a County Band concert. We found an LP from that concert and had it made into a"gold record" to present to Jerry. 

Below is a picture of Jerry surrounded by many PMEA District 10 band leaders and guest conductor, Dr. Peter Boonshaft. Several Allentown Band members are in this picture. --Deb Heiney, December 9, 2021


* * *


When I started maintaining the website for The Allentown Band, I also started collecting photos to use on the site. I often took a camera along to our recording sessions, and sometimes captured Jerry at work. Sometimes he responded with his usual good humor. --Bob Stein, Webmaster, December 20, 2021



You can view a few more of my photos
If you have photos to contribute to this album,
please send them to 
webmaster@allentownband.com


Popular posts from this blog

Guest Conductor Announced for 2023 Side-by-Side Concert

The Allentown Band to perform Showcase Concert at New York Wind Band Festival