Collections

David D. Dexter was a cornet player in the University of Michigan Symphony Band. In 1961, the Band toured and performed across the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. The collection includes digitized slides, correspondence, diaries, and audio recordings documenting the Band's experiences and performances. Also, a sound recording of an interview that was given by Dexter to a TV station in Ohio.

Digital images of slides, writings, and digitized sound recordings constitute the majority of items in the collection. Also included Dexter's packing lists, newsletter issues, and ephemera. All material relates to the University of Michigan Symphony Band's 1961 tour of the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.

The archives of the Pioneer Band Association document the history of the bands of Ann Arbor High School. Although Ann Arbor at this writing in 2012 has three high schools, these files primarily concern the Pioneer High School Band. The materials have been arranged into the following series: Class Files, People Files, Subject Files, Band Notes and related material, Visual Materials, Sound Recordings, Digital Materials, and Miscellaneous. Even though the records date from 1912, the bulk of the collection dates from the late 1960s. Much of the earlier material is copied from yearbooks and various archival resources. The People series includes research notes about different band members and notes from interviews with individuals who participated with the band in some capacity.