March 2016—which begins in twelve more days—including National Peanut Month.  This column will focus on one of broader interest—National Music in Our Schools Month.  Music in schools has historically been, after sports, the most popular extra-curricular activity.

July 8, 1910—Miss Lucia Barclift (later Mrs. C. I. Lee) has been unanimously chosen as musical instructor of the Hartselle public school for the next term.

February 22, 1924—The Morgan County High School Glee Club appeared in recital tonight at Moulton Heights.

June 17, 1937—Annie Ruth Waldsmith is supervising Girl Scout rank tests as well as music and nature exams.  The girls will show Miss Waldsmith what they have learned about music and nature during the recently completed school year.

May 14, 1939—The Morgan County Training School choir appeared in recital at the Methodist church this evening.  These outstanding singers have recently won contests at the county, district, and state levels.

March 30, 1940–Rachel Pattillo, a young MCHS honors student, won the piano contest in the first district Alabama Federation of Music Clubs junior elimination competition held at central Methodist church, Decatur. (Miss Pattillo, now a Florence resident, later married Bill Cadenhead, a Crimson Tide football star.)

May 22, 1941–In a letter to the Enquirer, W. R. Mixon asserts that, “There is no perfectly good reason that we cannot have as good success with anything in the Morgan County High School as any other place has. . . Leave your selfishness and ‘Let’s Go Morgan County High School Band!’”

June 12, 1947–The Hartselle band children are on the march today.  They are out in search of all the extra coat hangers in the town.  Marvin Pettit, proprietor of Pettit’s Cleaners, is offering to buy all wire coat hangers brought to him in this drive and the money will go to help buy band instruments.

August 7, 1947–Hartselle band practice is held each Thursday morning beginning at 11 o’clock, under the direction of Peter DeRoberts of Birmingham. Each band member is urged to get his white slacks and shirt as soon as possible.  The coats and caps are to be purchased later.

March 5, 1953--A. H. (Bert) Lockwood will leave the MCHS band after four years as director.

April 15, 1954–The annual MCHS band concert has had to go on without a regular director.  He resigned to take a job with a dance band.  Member Ila Jo Wallace told the newspaper:  “If someone made an error, we just stopped playing.”

June 19, 1956—Music for the grand opening today of Hartselle’s pride today, a modern $120,000 municipal auditorium housing city offices, was furnished by the Morgan County High School band under direction of Hollis James.

May 7, 1959—The Morgan County Training School band recently won high honors during competition at Alabama A & M in Huntsville.

June 6, 1963—Doris Whetstone, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Whetstone, will soon complete her studies in music at Knoxville College.

August 1, 1968–Hargett Music Shop opened.  The shop owner, Bobby Dean Hargett, was prominent in all aspects of music throughout the days of his matriculation in Hartselle public schools.

August 30, 2000—Bob Cain passed away today at age 61, a victim of a cancer the origins of which his doctors could never fully discern.  Mr. Cain was undoubtedly the most talented as well as the most versatile musician ever to emerge from Hartselle schools.  There seemed to be no instrument he could not play nor song he could not sing.  He was a justifiably honored member of the