“In My Heart I Was A Drum Set Player”: A Jazz Knight In The West Point Band

Ron Harsch was born in 1952 and grew up in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, with a brother and sister who were 9 and 10 years older. Their father built airplane engines for Lycoming. He also built houses, including the 9-room Skylight Motel that his mother ran. As a boy, one of Ron’s first jobs (unpaid) was helping clean rooms and make beds. He played sports, but also enjoyed a lot of imaginative play alone as a child. His brother Mike inspired him in a lot of ways and was a trumpet player, eventually playing in a Navy band aboard an aircraft carrier. Ron gravitated towards the drums, starting out banging pots and pans in the kitchen. His brother, who was studying at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, brought home Ron’s first drum set, and Ron began practicing by listening to records and playing along. At 11, Ron began taking drum lessons from Lou Feist. In 6th grade, he played in a talent show, and at 13, he was playing on a local TV station for a Muscular Dystrophy telethon. He remembers playing “Pennies from Heaven.” He recalls sneaking down from his bedroom as a 12-year-old to watch the Beatles on Ed Sulivan. Ron describes his parents as “band parents,” and he remembers driving around Pennsylvania for football games as a boy. His high school experience revolved around music, and he played drums in the concert and marching bands. He was even selected for the Pennsylvania State Orchestra Festival. He describes evenings spent playing in “smoky Elks clubs with much older musicians,” as well as playing for backyard parties with local rock bands. After high school, he started at Williamsport Area Community College, majoring in architecture, but kept his hand in music. In 1972, he was accepted to the Ohio State University, planning to continue his pursuit of architecture, but his life took a different direction. His draft number was 4 and his college deferment was expired, so he seized the opportunity to try out for the West Point Band based on a recommendation from his brother. All he knew about West Point was based on attending the 1962 Army Navy Game with his father. He auditioned in front of SGM McCloud, was accepted, and enlisted as an 02S (Army Special Bandmember). Ron did not enjoy basic training at Ft. Dix, but his experience in marching band helped him. He later named his first dog after one of his Drill Sergeants. After Basic, he reported to the West Point Band on the Friday following Thanksgiving, and was told to come back on Monday. Fortunately, it was a short drive back home. The West Point Band in 1972 boasted 175 members, and some of the Soldiers lived in rooms in the band building, Egner Hall, where there was also a mess hall. For a few months he was a Hellcat before gravitating to “The Beginnings” rock band and later the Jazz Knights. He remembers serving as borrowed military manpower at the ski slope for a month. At the end of the Vietnam War, the West Point Band experienced a reduction in force along with the rest of the Army, and the rock band was disbanded. He began playing with the Jazz Knights and the stage band. He describes some of the events he played, including gigs on the Supe’s boat, tailgates, Cadet hops, concerts, the 100th Night Show, and receptions. He reflects on an especially moving halftime show during a Buffalo Bills game following the Gulf War. He had the opportunity to travel to Japan with the West Point Band and play for President Reagan, Gorbachev, and Henry Kissinger. He continued to study with legendary drummers like Carmine Appice, Tony Williams, and John Riley. He enjoyed playing at Army Football Games, but notes that not all of the musicians shared his enthusiasm. He remembers that spirit at Michie seemed better during his early days at West Point, and the band played more frequently during games. Like the Cadets, not all band members enjoyed marching in parades, and Ron describes band members praying for rain before Cadet reviews. He recalls the graduation parade for the Class of 1991 when a deluge soaked the Corps and the Band, and the Firsties had to graduate in India Whites the next day. After retiring from the Army in 2000, SGM(R) Chet Goscicki helped him get a job with the Directorate of Cadet Activities. He eventually served as the Cadet Program Manager, helping Cadets plan different Class events like the Class Crest unveiling, Camp Illumination, the Talent Show, and various other activities. Over the years, he has enjoyed working with his fellow musicians, the Cadets, and all of the people behind the scenes who make everything happen flawlessly. He said he never really thought about his service to the nation, but is glad to have touched peoples’ lives. West Point is special to Ron. He spent 45 years here, and he is proud to have had a small role in the success of the Academy’s mission.