Richard Gnann

Dreaming of the Redcoat Band

MASCOT BOOKS

®$14.95 US

Jody dreams of running across the Sanford Stadium field and Dad helps to make the dream come true. If your blood runs Red and Black, if you dream Bulldog dreams, this book is for you. Richard Gnann

Illustrated byArt Roche

I S BN -13 978-1-937406-56-1

9 7 8 1 9 3 7 4 0 6 5 6 1

5 1 4 9 5I SBN -10 1-937406-56-3

®

®

Richard Gnann

Illustrated byArt Roche

®

Dreaming of the Redcoat Band

Copyright © 2012 by Richard Gnann

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be submitted online at info@mascotbooks.com or mailed to Mascot Books, 560 Herndon Parkway #120, Herndon, VA 20170.

PRT0912A

Printed in the United States

ISBN-13: 9781937406561ISBN-10: 1937406563

The terms ‘University of Georgia’, ‘Georgia’. ‘UGA’ ‘Dawgs’ and ‘Hairy Dawg’ are registered trademarks of the University of Georgia.

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Jody slumped by the University of Georgia Arch. The autumn sun pricked Jody’s eyes and his face dropped between his knees.

Dad reached down and touched Jody’s shoulder. “Watch for the parade, Jody. We’ll see Hairy Dawg and Uga. We’ll see the cheerleaders. We’ll see the Redcoat Band.”

And then the cheerleaders cheered, “Give me a G!” Then Jody heard the Redcoat Band. “Look!”

Hairy Dawg swaggered up to high five Jody. Then Uga barked at Jody.

Hey, what’s that comin’ down the track?Hey, what’s that comin’ down the track?

A huge machine that’s red and black!A huge machine that’s red and black!

Ain’t nothing finer in the landAin’t nothing finer in the land

Than the Georgia Redcoat Marching Band.Than the Georgia Redcoat Marching Band.

Go Dawgs! Go Dawgs! Go Dawgs! Go Dawgs!

Gooooooo Georgia Bulldogs!Gooooooo Georgia Bulldogs!Gooooooo Georgia Bulldogs! Gooooooo Georgia Bulldogs!

Jody grabbed Dad’s arm. “The trombones are silver! Wow!”

It was a wonderful day. Jody was so tired, he fell asleep on the way home and dreamed of the Redcoat Band. He dreamed of drums and trumpets, of sousaphones and drum majors. But Jody’s sweetest dream was of the silver trombones.

As Dad carried Jody into the house, Jody stirred and whispered, “Dad, can I play the trombone?”

Dad looked down at Jody. “Sure you can, if you want to.”

Jody smiled and fell back asleep.

Jody watched the Redcoat Band every chance he got. Jody watched the trumpets and listened to the drums. He looked at the drum major’s black suit and watched the sousaphones sway.

Mostly though, Jody watched and listened to the trombones. He liked the sliding zeeee wooooo zip sound and the big whop whop whop sounds the trombones made. Jody loved the booming low sounds and mellow high sounds the trombone made.

Jody could not wait to play the trombone in the Redcoat Band.

When it was time to play in the school band, Dad took Jody to choose his horn.

Jody tried the trumpet. He blew and blew. But Jody’s lips were too big.

Jody tried the tuba. He blew and blew. But Jody’s lips were too small.

Then Jody tried the trombone. He blew and blew.

Dad smiled. “That will do. That will do fine.”

Jody smiled, too. “I knew it would.”

Jody was so tired from blowing on all the horns that he fell asleep on the way home and dreamed of the trombone, of playing zeeeee wooooooo zzzip and whop whop whop. But Jody’s sweetest dream was of playing a silver trombone in the Redcoat Band.

As Dad carried Jody into the house, Jody stirred and whispered, “Dad, can I have a silver trombone?”

Dad looked down at Jody,“Sure you can, if you want one.”

Jody smiled and fell back asleep.

Jody played his silver trombone every chance he got. In the morning, Jody put on his red Georgia shirt and played his silver trombone. After school, Jody hurried home to play while marching in the backyard. Jody practiced the sliding sounds - zeeee wooooo zip. He practiced the big whop whop whop sounds. Jody practiced the booming low sounds and mellow high sounds.

Jody could not wait to play the trombone in the Redcoat Band.

One Saturday, Dad woke Jody up early. ”Let’s go to the Georgia football game! We’ll see big fast Bulldog football players and pretty Georgia cheerleaders. We’ll see long touchdowns. We’ll see Hairy Dawg and Uga.”

“Will we see the Redcoat Band?”

“Yes, we will.”

“Hurry, Dad! I don’t want to miss the Redcoat Band.”

Dad set up the tailgate not far from the stadium. Jody ate his lunch in the sunshine and tried to be patient. “Now can we go to the game? I want to see the Redcoat Band.”

“Finish your chicken.”

Jody chewed fast and swallowed hard. “Now?”

“Now.”

The Redcoat Band passed Jody as he walked into the stadium and Jody pointed at the Drum Major. “He is so tall!”

“Yes he is. You’ll be tall one day too.”

Then came the drums. “Their hands are so quick!”

Then came the trumpets.“They are so loud!”

And the sousaphones passed by, too.

Jody thought the sousaphone players would become dizzy from strutting back and forth. He was afraid they would fall on him.

When Jody saw the trombones, he touched Dad’s arm. “They’re silver, like mine.”

Dad looked down and smiled. “Yes, they are.”

Jody watched the game. He saw the long touchdowns and the big, fast Bulldog football players. Jody saw the pretty Georgia cheerleaders, Hairy Dawg, and Uga.

G – E – O – R – G – I – A!

Gooooooooooo Dawgs. Sic’ ‘em! Woof woof woof woof!

Then Jody stood up and watched the Redcoat Band. He saw the trumpets and sousaphones and heard the tra da dat dat dat and the OOM PA OOM PA. He saw the drums and heard the rat a tat tat. Then he saw the trombones. Jody put one hand to his lips and moved his other hand to play along – every note.

Again, Jody looked up at Dad. “One day, it will be real.”

It was a wonderful day. Jody was so tired from cheering and woofing, he fell asleep on the way home. He dreamed of playing a silver trombone in the Redcoat Band.

As Dad carried Jody into the house, Jody stirred and whispered, “I really want to play in the Redcoat Band.”

Dad looked down at Jody. “If you really want to, one day, you will.”

Jody smiled and fell back asleep.

One day finally came and Jody ran across the field with the Redcoat Band. The first time he put his lips to his trombone, Dad stood and clapped his hands with the music.

Glory, glory to old Georgia!Glory, glory to old Georgia!Glory, glory to old Georgia!

G-E-O-R-G-I-A.

When the Redcoats played the Alma Mater, Dad sang along as he watched Jody’s trombone glisten.

From the hills of Georgia’s northlandBeams thy noble brow,

And the sons of Georgia risingPledge with sacred vow.

And as the Redcoats marched down the field, Dad joined in the cheer.

G - E - O - R - G - I - AGoooooooooooooo Dawgs, Sic’ em!

The crowd roared and Dad smiled and pointed. “That’s Jody.”

Dad did not leave his seat until the last note of Tara’s Theme. He told everyone it was the best game he had ever been to.

Dad was exhausted and he fell asleep as soon as he got home. Jody reached down and touched Dad on the shoulder.

Dad stirred and whispered, “How was it?”

Jody smiled. “It was perfect.”

Dad smiled and fell back asleep.

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