Memories of Reynolds

A Philharmonic Roadtrip

I had an opportunity to see the New York Philharmonic back in 1970 and jumped at the chance to go. The only problem was the concert was in Raleigh and I was in Boone. I was a high school sophomore with a love for classical music but had no driver’s license … and it was a school night.

My sister was at NC State, and she saved the day. She convinced a good friend to come down the mountain and to let me tag along. We left Boone at 4 p.m. It was a 3 1/2 hour drive. No four lane highways or bypasses around busy cities. It was two lanes down the mountain to Wilkesboro to Winston-Salem and some four-lane roads from Greensboro to Raleigh.

Arriving at the concert, I recall the orchestra being set up toward the center of the coliseum, almost a “concert in the round.” We were sitting on the side, behind the cellos and basses. The orchestra played wonderfully.

It was conducted by Seiji Ozawa, the talented, young assistant conductor from Japan. He had been picked by Leonard Bernstein. They presented a varied program that included the “Copland Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra, Harp and Piano,” performed by principal clarinetist Stanley Drucker. I believe the second half of the program may have included the “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Mussorgsky.

As the concert came to an end, the audience received the performance with enthusiasm and demanded an encore.

Ozawa returned to the stage and led the orchestra in “The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa. As the piccolos finished their familiar solo and the brass stood for their final push, Ozawa faced the crowd, raised his hand and started conducting as a drum major in a parade with an imaginary mace. The crowd jumped to its feet, and we all clapped in rhythm until the end of the piece. What a terrific experience, especially for a high school musician, half a state from home.

Believe it or not, we had to drive back to Boone that night, arriving home safely at 1:30 a.m.

It has been 54 years, and many, many memories have come and gone over that time. I have attended and performed in many superb performances on stages across the United States.

But in 1970, nothing could compare to the wild night of music and adventure this young musician experienced in Reynolds Coliseum.

Michael McNeely
Via email

Speaking in Cultural Tongues

I was a member of the [NC State] British Brass Band for a number of years through undergrad and grad school and of the Pipe and Drum Band for a few years during grad school. (This was during the 1980s.) As a band member, we were required to show up in uniform and usher for at least one performance a semester. Some of my favorites were the Canadian Brass, which I think I saw at least twice, and Peter Schickele/P.D.Q. Bach.

The most memorable performance for me was the New Zealand National Brass Band, who brought with it a Maori dance troupe. They performed the first Haka I had ever seen. They carefully explained beforehand that in the Maori culture, sticking out one’s tongue was considered a sign of ferocity, as opposed to a sassy expression of pique in ours. The explanation was very helpful, as my natural inclination would have been to giggle during the performance otherwise.  

The best part of that was that our brass band hosted a reception for the performers in Price Music Center after the performance. What I remember most about that is that all of us on both sides spent most of the time grinning in delight at hearing one another’s accents (New Zealand vs. U.S. Southern) as we were chatting.

Thanks for reviving the memories and solving the mystery of why such a treasured NC State experience went away.

Lib Reid McGowan
Via email
Energy Data Analyst, NC State
Raleigh, N.C.

The Historic Reynolds League

My first ever job as an intern and as a full-time employee was in that building. I spent countless hours in the basement digging through dusty file folders full of athletics history. I would walk along the track to find legendary Frank Weedon in his office and his collection of forgotten (to most everyone but him) artifacts.

One of my Reynolds keys had the numbers B4B etched into it. Not sure how I still remember that 23 years later.

We played pickup basketball as often as we could in Reynolds, The Historic Reynolds League (aka The HRL), with everyone and anyone who worked in athletics invited to play — athletics directors, current and former players, trainers, managers, coaches — anyone who wanted to join in.

Those were the best memories.

Patrick Norris (’03)
Via LinkedIn
Indian Trail, N.C.

Growing Up in Reynolds

My memories of Reynolds Coliseum run deep from early childhood. I was blessed to have an uncle (Rudolph Pate), who was a vice chancellor in the early 1970s. He had wonderful basketball tickets that somehow ended up with my father. I distinctly remember some of the biggest games sitting on press row. What a dream for a kid like me.

We also used his tickets that were about three rows from the top of the coliseum at midcourt on the aisle. I could see Wally Ausley and Garry Dornburg make their way up to the crow’s nest to call the game for radio station WPTF. My father and I always wondered how those gentlemen were able to make their way through that tiny staircase onto that perch. Years later, I witnessed many women’s basketball games as a manager and videographer. I remember opening windows when the old barn was cooking and maybe having some control of the old noise meter.

I also remember attending numerous country concerts there, including Kenny Rogers, Dottie West and the Oak Ridge Boys … and quite a few others. I believe my last concert there was Def Leppard in 1987 — sitting in almost that exact seat I had for all those men’s basketball games in the 1970s.

As an adolescent, I attended Norm Sloan basketball camps — including his last year. (Monte Towe was one of my first counselors, and Coach Sam Esposito was the head of that camp.) Then I attended a few Jim Valvano basketball camps, including his first year, and I eventually worked and helped manage Kay Yow basketball camps for many years. Both my daughters also attended her camps. I sure wish that we had air conditioning back in those days.

As a student, I had the experience of camping out in front of Reynolds for football tickets versus East Carolina my first weekend as a freshman in the fall of 1985. It was an extremely long night sitting out waiting to get my tickets. Then, a couple days later we camped out again for tickets to see President Ronald Reagan. Along with scores of students, I also spent quite a bit of time registering for classes … standing in line to wait for one particular section at one particular time, only to find out once I made it to the front of the line that that section and time were now closed, and then to frantically search through the booklet to figure out which line I needed to go in next.

I attended numerous games as a student in the mid 80s and early 90s when Coach Valvano had that place rocking. Eventually, I made my way closer to the action as a manager for the women’s basketball team to see everything “backstage” and under those hallowed floors. I shared a lot of excitement, a lot of cheers and quite a few tears as assistant coach and director of basketball operations for women’s basketball and Kay Yow. My office was in Reynolds, my locker space in the staff locker room in Reynolds. We spent tons of time in the weight room in the basement and hours of deep conversations and fun in the equipment room with equipment managers, equipment director Brenda Keene and other managers and staff.

Back on the court, I was the voiceover for tons of recruits who visited Reynolds and sat at midcourt with all the lights out, except for the overhead spotlights, as I called them hitting a winning shot. I sat on press row doing color for the Wolfpack women, did some sideline reporting on early television and streaming broadcasts and had the honor to sit on the bench as an assistant coach for Hall of Fame coach Kay Yow.

My biggest honor and perhaps fondest and saddest memory was opening the farewell celebration in front of a packed coliseum for coach Yow, days after her passing in 2009.

Robin Pate (’91)
Via Facebook
Athletic Director, Wake Tech Community College
Raleigh, N.C.

Concerts That Inspired a Career

I attended many of those Friends of the College events in the early 1970s, which I believe helped inspire my career choice, along with so many basketball games.

I was fortunate enough to go backstage after two of those concerts and meet Andre Previn, who conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, and Eugene Ormandy, who conducted the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra.

At the time as a student, I probably didn’t truly appreciate what an extraordinary experience that was.

Bud Simmons
Via X
Director, Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center (2017-present)
Former Director of Operations, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (1995-2017)

Florence, S.C.

A Special Family Place

My dad cleaned brick as a work-study job during his student days at NC State. He graduated with a degree in agriculture education in 1952. He recently passed, just short of 96 years old. I love that building, as it brings me thoughts of that young man cleaning bricks for the brickmasons.

Of course, it also brings memories of many men’s and women’s basketball games, class-enrollment days, graduations for me and both of my children (both with bachelor and masters ceremonies) … and countless other memories. It is indeed a special place.

Oh yeah … one of my favorite concerts there was Huey Lewis and The News. I also got to meet Jon Bon Jovi after he opened for Ratt.

Charlie Helms (‘88)

Via LinkedIn

Director of Compliance, Federal Tax Administrators

Garner, N.C.