The White Falcon - 18.06.1976, Blaðsíða 3

Page 3
Navy PN picked for music school
by J02 Jerry Foster
An apt description of PNSN Martha
"Marty" E. Speakman is "I Got the Music
in me". Based on this ability to com-
pose and perform original musical selec-
tions, she has been accepted to attend
the Navy's School of Music, Norfolk, Va.
Attached to the Naval Station Person-
nel Office, she attended Personnelman
"A" School, Meridan, Miss., upon her
enlistment into the Navy.
Her selection alone is rare because
Navy personnel usually must serve 18
months in a particular rating upon grad-
uation from an "A" school. Then cross-
rating is permitted.
So she now may go to the MU "A"
School within only one year of serving
in the Navy as a personnelman.
The competition to become a Navy
musician is, of course, quite stiff and
rigid. Piano majors, for instance, must
qualify on other instruments as well.
While on leave enroute to Keflavik
from Meridian, Marty auditioned at the
school of music.
When she auditioned, only three bil-
lets were open, however, five applicants
vied for these placements. She was se-
lected to fill one of these three school
seats for Navy Musician (MU).
Commenting on her musical aspirations
—she declared, "When I leave the Navy-
I intend to go into the ministry of
music with my Christian sister, AZ3
Wanda Donaghy of VR-131, NAS Norfolk.
Va. Wanda receives the words for whicl
I write the music. Sometimes our com-
positions even cross in the mail while
we are working on the songs."
Marty plays piano, flute and organ
Music school graduates are expected to
play classics, jazz, pop and rock.
The Navy's MU School, which runs six
months, offers almost 90 per cent of the
course in music theory in which students
are required to compose, transpose and
generally have a thorough working know-
ledge of music theory.
Each week during the school three
songs must be completely memorized and
performed by the individual student in
the presence of his instructor.
Twice during the class session tests
(or "juries") are administered by a
judge or panel and a grade is given to
the music student.
Marty began playing piano at age
five. She has also performed on the or-
gan for 10 .years.
Besides composing music, she writes
poetry similar to Rod McKuen. She re-
fers to her poetry as "mood images".
Since age 10 Marty has written words
and music for songs.
When she was about 19, Marty was of-
fered a recording contract by a record-
ing studio in Minneapolis, Minn.
A composer of some 40 original com-
positions, 10 songs which she has com-
posed are copyrighted.
Of these 10 songs, four are now re-
corded.
The recording company wanted to pro-
mote her songs, but, since a 50 per cent
take of total sales was demanded, she
declined to allow the company collabora-
tion rights.
Since then Marty has performed sever-
al community concerts and has given an
original performance.
"The Navy has been good to me in
helping me to use my God-given musical
ability," she explained.
Nine songs which she has composed
since November will be copyrighted.
These songs will be used, according to
her wishes, in church music.
A music publisher in Virginia Beach,
Va., has tentatively accepted two of
these songs. The publishing company
will collaborate with her for the rights
to the songs. She stated that she does
not desire income from these songs.
Marty graduated from Momingside Col-
lege, Sioux City, Iowa, with a bachelor
of a^ts in music.
She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Lewis J. Speakman, Lawton, Iowa.
57th FIS logs 170 arrested landings
"You have 15 or 20 seconds of visi-
bility when you approach because you're
coming down at 190 miles an hour out of
clouds that are a mile off the ground.
There's 40 knots of blowing snow out
there and the runway is icy," Air Force
First Lieutenant Bob Shows explained
(about the 170 arrested landings which
khe 57th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
nas performed since October.
These particular landing operations
are seldom executed outside Iceland ex-
cept in aircraft carrier missions in the
Navy and in cases of emergency touch-
downs.
"The pilot," continued 1st Lt. Shows,
"spots the arresting cable and lines up
the F-4C Phantom aircraft with the run-
way center line."
To actually bring down the F-4, which
is manned by a pilot and a weapons sys-
tems operator, in this manner, three ar-
resting gear operators and a gear me-
chanic prepare the arresting gear equip-
ment with practically little or no no-
tice, within 15 minutes.
The arrestments are directed by
Halldor Halldorsson, Keflavik Airport
Fire Station arresting gear captain, and
two sets of arresting gear equipment are
rigged at all times during 57th line
operations. Only three to five minutes
are needed to tighten the cable fully
and man it.
Aircrew reliance, of course, is a-
cutely essential to the successful com-
pletion of the many arrestments which
have been recorded since that time.
Only seven or eight minutes usually
elapse before touchdown to re-rigging.
CAPT. MORGAN SLAYTON (left), and Dr. Ernest Hankamer congratulate P01 Ron Charles,
the Equal Opportunity Program specialist at the Naval Station Human Relations Cen-
ter, for his academic achievement--five terms of straight A's. "I'm taking cours-
es because it helps me in my job, adds to my personal growth and it's a way of
reaching my goal of helping others, explained P01 Charles. "Iwant a counseling
career and that takes an academic degree."
Nursery Expands
Curriculum
The base Nursery, sponsored by the
Officers' Wives Club, has made some
changes in its curriculm. It now pro-
vides service for children of ages six
months to six years old.
Children will be placed in three dif-
ferent categories so they can play with
children of their own age. The age
groups are: 6 months to 2*5 years; 2*5 to
4>s years; and 4*5 to 6 years old.
The fees are 60 cents an hour for one
child, 80 cents for two, and $1 for
three children.
The Base Nursery is open to children
of working mothers, and for those whose
mothers have social or shopping engage-
ments.
The Nursery is in Building 126, near
the Navy Exchange, and is open Monday
through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 5:45
p.m. On Sunday, the chapel pays for
the nursery to be open from 8:30 a.m to
12:30.
Clubs and activities on the base can
deposit $25 for the nursery to remain
open for special activities.
Story and photos by AN Bob Herskovitz