Sad News: Jerry will be missed
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
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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
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