Sleepy Hollow High School Class of 1982, The Tarrytowns, New York
______
HMF
by HARRIET EDLESON
SHHS Class of 1970
(As published in The Daily
News, Tarrytown, N.Y., a
Gannett Co. publication)
Harold M. Fox, teacher,
musician and band leader,
is dedicated to sharing
music with anyone who is
interested.
Music director for the
Tarrytowns’ Public Schools,
“Happy” has worked in the
music program in the Tar-
rytowns’ schools for the
past 19 years. He’s taught
many young people, which
he says is what he enjoys
most about his work.
“I’m particularly interest-
ed in seeing the kids grow,”
said Fox, in an interview in
his office located next to
the band room at Sleepy
Hollow High School.
Sounds of a baritone, a
flute and percussion instru-
ments drift into the office
from the band room, where
several students are practi-
cing. Several students stop
by to see Fox during a free
period or lunch period. It
seems that music never
ends in the vicinity.
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The Stance that Became
Most Familiar
to his Students
______
“When I say grow,” he
continued, “I mean not only
the musical aspects, but to
watch these kids mature,
to see their rapport with
each other and with adults
develop.”
Fox and his wife live in
Ossining and have two
children of their own.
Diane and Christopher
are students at Ossining
High School.
Fox grew up in Tarrvtown
and attended the local
schools, participating in ev-
ery available musical group.
He graduated from New
York Univ. in 1957 and
was offered the position
of general music teacher
at Washington Irving Jun-
ior High School, where he
organized the first junior
high vocal group in the
Tarrytowns. He earned a
master’s degree in 1963
from NYU in music educa-
tion and has been with mu-
sic programs in the schools
ever since.
______
At least three Class of
’82 SHHS graduates–
Jessa Margoshes, for
one–are listed in this
yearbook caption (as
well as others from
Classes of ’81/’83/’84).
______
His interest and the inter-
est of the Sleepy Hollow
Music Boosters, a group
started last July by parents
to promote music in the
schools, has resulted in
plans for a dance featuring
the SHHS stage band led by
Fox. The dance, which will
be open to the community,
will take place from 8 to 11
p.m.. Friday, March 25, in
the school gym.
“We’re going to have a
good time,” said Fox. “You
can’t do this without the
help of the Booster Club.”
All the details are being
handled by the parents.
THE STAGE band, which
has been in existence for
approximately 10 years,
showed interest in a dance
concert this year. Fox at-
tributes student interest to
the “nostalgia craze” of the
last year and a half. With
many students interested
in groups like “The Manhat-
tan Transfer,” explained
Fox, “Why not put the stage
band on and see if we can
get parents to come to the
school and to see if we can
get students to come?”
The dance will provide a
different kind of atmos-
phere, less formal than reg-
ular concerts. “The idea is
to bring together parents
and students in a social at-
mosphere.” Fox said. The
dance, which will cost $2
per person, will support
music students and school
music in general, he added.
------
Practice Makes Perfect
(here, 1971)
______
“Parents, friends and
neighbors can come to visit,
listen, dance, and have a lit-
tle party of their own. The
kids work so hard at things
and so little is appreciated
by the general public.”
The band, composed of 21
students, has a repertoire
of approximately 40 songs,
including music that was
popular in the 40s and 50s,
and some rock selections.
Many of them are original
Glen Miller and Les Brown
arrangements, which Fox
played himself with profes-
sional bands.
“I think it’s going to
sound great,” he said. The
arrangements are often
played by a seven or 12-
piece band, but with 21
pieces the sound will be
“full, together and rhy-
thmical,” Fox said. They’re
going to be good musical
sounds.”
The full band sound will
be interspersed with vibra-
harp and piano solos. Fox
will also play trumpet and
flugal horn on some of the
selections, and Delbert
Anderson, vocal music and
humanities team teacher
at Sleepy Hollow and John
Paulding School, will pro-
vide vocals. He was a sing-
er, dancer and actor in sev-
eral original Broadway
productions for 13 years.
Altogether, Fox works
with some 150 students
during a four-year period in
instrumental music and
theory. “VERY SELDOM do
they let you down,” he said.
It takes hard work to keep
them going. “But it’s true,
they come through if you
put out the time and
effort,” he said. “They
come through in a like
manner.”
______
Perpetually: Happy
(here, 1985/1986
school year; still
keeping the beat!)
______
A sign in his office reads
“Be reasonable, Do It My
Way,” a gift from his first
chorus almost 19 years ago,
Fox explained with a natur-
al laugh.
But his more serious side
returns when he talks
about the lasting friend-
ships that often develop
with his students. “They’ll
stop by or call me at home”
after they’ve graduated
and are back in the area,
he said.
Sometimes current stu-
dents will just stop by his
office to talk. Despite his
often busy schedule. Fox
still finds time for them.
“They just want to talk,”
he said. “You still try to
make the time to talk.
Sometimes they come in
with serious problems of
their own. You try to help
them where you can.”
And if they want to work
on some music with him,
Fox is always ready. “You’ve
got to be ready when the
kids are ready,” he said.
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1935-2018
______
at findagrave.com
______
We salute:
a quite
musical life!
______
We do have a film clip of Mr.
Fox, as he led the SHHS Band
(borrowed from the classic '67
student film--Ratman vs. Bobin):
https://imgflip.com/gif/6hv9k9
However, there is this longer, mod-
ern clip, which reminds me of him:
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