Colonel Wes Moore, Director of Bands for Bakersfield High School, 1946-79.

As the One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern committee geared up for this fall’s read of “The Other Wes Moore” (about two boys named Wes Moore growing up in Baltimore), community members here shared a recurring comment: Bakersfield has its own noteworthy Wes Moore. And, in following one of the key themes of the book – that mentoring can make a difference in a young person’s future – Bakersfield’s Wes Moore should be celebrated for positively influencing countless youth.

Known to most as Colonel Moore, or “The Colonel,” the late Wes Moore was the Director of Bands for Bakersfield High School from 1946 to 1979. During his tenure, the Driller Marching Band was known for its precision marching and musicality. They performed in parades, including the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena and the U.S. Bicentennial in Washington, D.C, and at football games both at home and up and down the state. The BHS Concert Band consistently received superior ratings at the annual Kern County Music Educators Association Ratings Festival.

Moore was inducted into the Hall of Fame of California Music Teachers in 2001.

In response to a call for submissions in The Bakersfield Californian, BHS alumni and former teachers shared their memories of Colonel Moore, who was known for his militaristic style and disciplined marching orders. Like the book’s author, who credits military school for putting him on the straight and narrow, many of Colonel Moore’s former students say his strict expectations taught them the respect and discipline they needed to succeed.

Colonel Moore also served for 30 years as the operations manager of the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra – a role his wife, Mary Moore, took over after he passed away in 2004 and continues to this day.

In appreciation of Colonel Moore’s impact on so many BHS students and the community, there will be a short tribute ceremony during the half-time of the Bakersfield High School football game on Friday, Sept. 23. Mary Moore and her family will be in attendance, and Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall will present a proclamation on Moore’s behalf.

To read all of the stories submitted about The Colonel, and to post your own, visit the “Stories” section of the One Book website at http://onebookonebakersfieldonekern.com.

Monty Byrom

By the time I hit high school I already knew what I wanted to do with my life: play music! Col. Moore saw that right away. But he knew something I didn’t: That the rest of school and college were just as important and somehow he got me to understand that. The Colonel had a way with kids that demanded respect without asking for it, a very rare trait.

I was in every music class I could sign up for and one morning in orchestra, Archie Raider sent me to the principal’s office and I’m sure I deserved it. On my way I ran into the Colonel and of course he asked where I was going. When I told him, he did something I never expected. He followed me into the office and asked to see the principal. I still didn’t know what was coming and all of a sudden he starts telling him that Raider may be the one with a problem, not me, and that I was one of his best and most talented students. That went a long way with me and 40 years later I’m still telling that story.

A good 15 years later after a few records and tours under my belt, I ran into the Colonel getting my oil changed. I heard that big baritone voice and knew right away who it was. I was genuinely excited to see him after all these years. The first thing he said to me was, “I heard that you sang with Barbara Streisand!”

Of course I was happy and proud to tell him, yes Colonel I sang a duet with her on her last record. But what he said next was not only hilarious and something I’ll never forget, but you almost had to know him to get it. He pointed his finger and poked me on the shoulder and said in almost a girlish voice, “Can I touch you?”

We laughed and I don’t remember exactly what I said as I was leaving, probably about how much he meant to me or something along those lines. I don’t know if he ever really knew how much he meant to this kid from Bakersfield.

Monty Byrom, Class of 1976

This story was submitted in response to a call for memories about Bakersfield’s own Wes Moore, the late Colonel Moore, who directed the Bakersfield High School bands from 1946-79 and positively influenced countless youth. For the original call for submissions, click here.

Karen King

The summer before my freshman year my family moved to Bakersfield from Oklahoma.  When I saw the BHS campus, I was both excited and terrified.  Most freshmen came with a few friends from junior high, but I knew no one and was overwhelmed by a school that was twice as large as my home town.

The one thing that helped me gain self-esteem and an identity was being in the Driller Band, known as one of the best in the state at the time.  I didn’t feel lost in a sea of strangers any more.  I was a member of the great Driller Band.  It didn’t take long to understand why the band was topnotch.  It was because of  Col. Moore’s leadership.

Col. Moore ran the band as if it were a military unit.  The few girls in the band were expected to match their uniforms exactly with those of the boys. This meant we wore men’s white tee-shirts under our uniform, men’s shoes (very comfortable by the way), and kept our hair tucked under our headgear.  If during band practice Col. Moore saw a student chewing gum, he would simply point to that person and shout “Swallow it!”

Col. Moore merely tolerated the front row of majorettes when we performed.  At one band practice on the field, a majorette was doing some practice throws and her baton almost hit Col. Moore In the head.  You never saw the majorettes again after that or the years I was in school.

My love of music today is directly related to my time in band with Col. Moore.  After high school I enrolled in the U.S. Navy Waves and after four years with Col. Moore, I  had no problem follow orders!

Karen King, Class of 1960

This story was submitted in response to a call for memories about Bakersfield’s own Wes Moore, the late Colonel Moore, who directed the Bakersfield High School bands from 1946-79 and positively influenced countless youth. For the original call for submissions, click here.

My first encounter with Col. Moore was in his office for a formal interview and tryout in the fall of 1950.  I had just graduated from Emerson Jr. High where I was first chair, first clairinet.  Col. Moore asked me if I wanted to be in the “BAKERSFIELD HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND”  and I timidly responded, “I think so.”  YOU THINK SO!!!! He roared back at me and put me in seventh chair, second clairinets probably as much for my timidity as my playing ability.

My fellow band member Dick Engel and I also played football — first with the Bits and then with the Sandabs.  Col. Moore didn’t like this.  He wanted us to do one or the other.  The Sandabs usually played a game before the varsity game and Dick and I had little time to change out of our football pads and into our band uniforms before the band went onto the field for the pre-game ceremony.  My parents always came to the games and brought my instrument and band uniform but once at the Fresno High School game in Fresno they didn’t bring my uniform cap.

As the band was assembling to go onto the field there I was in uniform, minus the cap, and Col. Moore spotted me immediately.  He told me I wasn’t going out onto the field without my cap and I was to see him in his office at 8:00 am Monday morning.  He informed my friend Dick that he should be there also.  Col. Moore gave us a choice — band or football.  Dick and I felt the same way — we chose football.  Our reason?  The girls were much more attracted to football players than to band members.  We didn’t tell Col. Moore this of course but he accepted our decision and told us to turn in our uniforms.

The one year I was in the band we won the All Western Band Review in Long Beach and as a reward marched in the Rose Bowl Parade.  I was very proud of Col. Moore and the band for those accomplishments.

Bob Myers, BHS Grad, Class of 1954

This story was submitted in response to a call for memories about Bakersfield’s own Wes Moore, the late Colonel Moore, who directed the Bakersfield High School bands from 1946-79 and positively influenced countless youth. For the original call for submissions, click here.

I met Colonel Wes Moore in 1953, when I began dating a member of his Driller Band at Bakersfield High School.  Lawrence Brooks (Larry) was in the middle of his second senior year when we met; this was not only his fifth year in high school but his fifth year as a proud member of the Driller Band. Larry had dyslexia which resulted in him having difficulty with studies – reading, spelling, math, reading music to name a few.  As a result, he felt pretty stupid, although he was actually a very smart guy.

Colonel took him under his wing, teaching Larry to play the tuba at first, then eventually moved him into the trombone section.  Being tall, he carried the tuba proudly.  Eight across, the tuba section had the letters D-R-I-L-L-E-R-S stretched on the bells, swaying their horns with precision and swagger while marching – an imposing presence.

Colonel was a huge fan of John Philip Sousa (director the U.S. Marine Band and composer of many marches) and carried forward that military discipline.  When competing in Regional Band Reviews, their marching skills as well as music competence always garnered high marks.  Because Larry’s brother, Leroy Brooks (Lee) followed him in the tuba section of the BHS Driller Band, we traveled to Long Beach to attend many reviews; Colonel’s band always competed well against bigger and better endowed schools.

Colonel expected excellence from his students; he got it out of them, along with their unqualified respect and desire to give their best.  Larry succeeded in life primarily due to Colonel’s early encouragement and care.

In 1999, as Larry was losing his battle with lymphoma, Colonel telephoned Larry during the last days of his life to again provide him with affirmation and support.

Submitted by Patricia Puskarich (formerly Patricia Brooks)

This story was submitted in response to a call for memories about Bakersfield’s own Wes Moore, the late Colonel Moore, who directed the Bakersfield High School bands from 1946-79 and positively influenced countless youth. For the original call for submissions, click here.

BAND ATTENTION !!!!!
Just read the story of the B.H.S. students looking into the life of Col. Wes Moore. What memories that brought back. “The Colonel” was one of the most influential people in the lives of literally thousands of young people. He was truly one of Bakersfields best. I’ve had two heros in my life that I loved and respected. The first was my dad, the second was “The Colonel”. Someone should write a book about the life of this wonderful man. We all miss you Col. BAND AT EASE !!!!

Michael B. Huestis
Lieutenant, Driller Band, 1966

P.S. All my best to” Mrs. Col.”

This story was submitted in response to a call for memories about Bakersfield’s own Wes Moore, the late Colonel Moore, who directed the Bakersfield High School bands from 1946-79 and positively influenced countless youth. For the original call for submissions, click here.

I was in the Driller band from 1948 to 1952. We marched in the Rose Parade all four years. I remember loading into school buses in the wee hours of the morning New Year’s Day for the 2-3 hour trip to Pasadena, arriving before dawn and standing in formation for what seemed like hours before our band was called to begin the march down Pasadena Avenue. Once we got started it passed pretty rapidly and the buses were there to pick us up at the end of the parade. We always went to the Rose Bowl game after the parade and had seats together for the entire band. As I recall we had over 100 musicians marching ten wide in ten or eleven rows with 10 big tubas in the last row. One year someone smuggled a bottle of Four Roses inside one of the tubas! I remember It helped you to sleep in the bus on the way home, purely medicinal. Those were the days!

Larry Foster

This story was submitted in response to a call for memories about Bakersfield’s own Wes Moore, the late Colonel Moore, who directed the Bakersfield High School bands from 1946-79 and positively influenced countless youth. For the original call for submissions, click here.

In 1946, I was playing trombone in the KC band and Mr. Moore asked me to change to the baritone. He told me I would be using the same mouthpiece as the trombone but would use valves instead of the slide to change notes.

I fell in love with the instrument. He furnished me with a euphonium which has two bells, one for treble and one for bass and has a more mellow tone than the trombone or baritone. He taught me a simple way to transpose the treble to bass. In one of our concerts, in a solo I was supposed to play, I made a mistake. Afterwards, he had a discussion with me that I very well remember.

He told me I had a natural talent for playing the instrument but I didn’t practice enough. So, I started practicing more and suddenly I felt more pride in my playing. This advice I have always kept in my mind. I no longer play the instrument but in every endeavor I’ve gotten into since I’ve found that practice has always helped. When he passed away, I had the honor of being asked to officiate at his Masonic funeral. Wes Moore was truly a great teacher.

John D. Denney

This story was submitted in response to a call for memories about Bakersfield’s own Wes Moore, the late Colonel Moore, who directed the Bakersfield High School bands from 1946-79 and positively influenced countless youth. For the original call for submissions, click here.