The Soulful Generation
Make-shift, modern, and typically teen a band of conflicts for a conflicting generation
By KAREN ZUPKO
Lacking the antics of the Monkees, the movement of the Rolling Stones, and the height of the Airplane, the Soulful Generation has a style all its own.
The style encompasses talent from Prairie Village to Potomac, Md., a national sound that complements the variety found in the camp.
THE GROUP was organized after the second Midwestern Music and Art Camp dance used records instead of a live band.
The boys, all in the music division, decided along with kids from other divisions that the records "had to go."
"We got together only a few days before the Sadie Hawkins dance and prepared a few songs. We only had a few hours to work on our material," unofficial spokesman for the group, sax player, Pete Martin, Prairie Village, said.
The group's bass player, Stan Ricker, who also teaches bass at the camp, concluded, "It's a lot more fun playing bass than it is records." Playing relieved Ricker of his role as a silent disc jockey.
FIVE ABSTRACTLY dedicated musicians sit in an oversized practice room in Murphy Hall, clad in cut-offs, tennis shoes, and striped t-shirts. There are no mop-heads in this case; haircuts range from needing-one to respectable-by- adult-standards.
A deep baritone comes over the microphone, aided by an amp that is too loud. "Testing 1-2-5."
After 15 minutes of tuning, scaling, plugging in, and foofing
around, someone says, "Hey,
there, quit this goofing around.
Let's get to it."
"DISORGANIZATION 1-2-3-4-5," says the man on the mike. This time he has all the numbers. Silence. The few people at the session sit eagerly on the edge of their chairs awaiting the first inspired notes. TAPS? What does this tell you about the future of this group?
"No. That is not going to go over. You can't dance to that!"
The session goes on after a five-minute argument over what to play. Once they get started—and organist Karl Berry, Kansas City, wakes up—the sound is okay. It's reverberating off the walls and ceiling, but it's okay.
CONSCIOUS OF the interviewer, drummer Norm Weinberg, Prairie Village, hams it up. He tries a more direct approach for more attention.
"What are ya writing? Are you getting this down? When are you going to interview us, huh, huh?" He emphasizes his questions with a bang on the cymbals.
Once Norm is settled down again, the group begins work on an original piece by an unidentified member of the group.
"HEY, TRY that again. It sounds okay. A little more bass." comments guitarist Clive Renfroe, Raytown, Mo.
Trumpet players, Charlie Gasque, Potomac, Md., and Randy Ottinger, Rockville, Md., wait quietly until the group begins "Hold on, I'm Coming." Suddenly the two quiet boys become the heart of the Generation.
The potential Alperts fuse body
and soul into trumpet and let loose. The sound has an electrical effect—whether in an unglamourous practice session or a dim dance room filled with fans.
The session ended and the boys began to move the equipment down to Oliver for the dance.
"OUR SOUND isn't tight," they admit truthfully. "Our singing isn't what it could be and we have a limited repertoire. But for a makeshift group we're proud."
Campers seemed pleased with the group, too.
"A live band adds atmosphere that records can't compete with," camper Kathy O'Neil said.
The Souful Generation is the sound of our generation. There is contrast between the sounds of "Louie, Louie," and the revived "Summertime"—but conflict and contrast are representative of our generation just as The Souful Generation is representative of thousands of local pop groups all over the country.
WEATHER
Scattered showers and thunderstorms tonight, otherwise partly cloudy and continued warm and humid is forecast by U.S. Weather Bureau today. Precipitation probabilities 30 per cent today.
Kansas finds teacher shortage within state
By MARK CERKOVNIK
In a seven day period the education placement bureau received notice from 78 Kansas schools which had one or more vacancies for teachers and school administrators.
Herold Regier, director of the education placement bureau, comments, "We have been receiving a large number of vacancy reports. The biggest problem is that we have more jobs than candidates to fill them."
Teachers for elementary schools are scarce as are those for music, English, social science, and foreign languages.
Approximately 70 per cent of KU education graduates teach in Kansas. The average starting salary for inexperienced teachers in
the state is $5,400 although some receive more.
The education placement bureau provides information on job opportunities to recent graduates, graduate students, and alumni. The bureau supplies data on programs such as the "teacher corps" and the peace corps. Job counseling is also furnished through the bureau.
Students are interviewed by their prospective employers during the school year through the placement bureau. Most of these interviews are scheduled for February.
Summer Kansan Friday, July 28, 1967
HENRY'S
wishes to thank you for your patronage this summer.
We also want to invite you to stop by any time and dine with us in air-conditioned comfort.
6th and Missouri
When you want to-
SELL YOUR BOOKS!
Bring them to the Bookstore during Final Week August 3rd & 4th
Please bring your books to the lower level entrance 8:30 to 4:30.
We are paying patronage refund period 40 valid through December 1967 and period 41 valid through June 1968
kansas union BOOKSTORE