The Jimmie Howard Reynolds diary, titled "Rehearsals with WRD", was maintained by Reynolds during the 1970-1971 academic year at the University of Michigan. Reynolds was a graduate student assistant for William D. Revelli during his last year as Director of Bands. The diary held by the Bentley Historical Library is a transcription, prepared and edited by Reynold's son, Dr. Patrick Reynolds, in 2021. Dr. Reynolds transcribed the diary as written, with minor changes to punctuation and grammar to aid in clarity. Dr. Reynolds also added some additional information to the text, usually to clarify names, dates, or events as written about by his father; these additions are added in brackets.
While Reynolds and Revelli maintained a close professional relationship for forty years, the diary documents criticisms Reynolds had of Revelli's conducting and pedagogy. In some entries, names have been removed by Dr. Reynolds to avoid embarrassment on behalf of the performers. A full note regarding Dr. Reynolds' transcription work is included in the digital file.
Jimmie Howard Reynolds (1925-2013) was born February 19, 1925, to Charles Franklin Cracraft and Orpha Edith Howard in Wichita, Kansas. His father died when he was 2 years old and he was later adopted by his stepfather, John McCormack Reynolds.
Reynolds graduated from Byrd High School (1942) in Shreveport, Louisiana. He attended Louisiana Polytechnic University from 1943-1944, and Louisiana State University from 1946-1948, where he received a Bachelor of Music Education in 1948. He then attended the University of Michigan from 1948-1949, where he received his Master of Music Education. From 1943-1946, Reynolds served in the United States Navy and was honorably discharged with the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade.
After graduation he was hired as the Director of Bands at Miami Edison High School, Miami, Florida, where he worked until 1951. From 1951-1952, he served as the Assistant Director of Bands at Louisiana State University. He was the Director of Instrumental Music at Carr Central High School, Vicksburg, Mississippi (1952-1953) and at ISTROMA High School, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (1955-1959). Reynolds went on to serve as Director of Bands at Peabody College/ Vanderbilt University (1959-1962), Director of Bands and Chair of the Department of Music at Louisiana Tech University (1962-1972) and Director of Bands at Iowa State University (1972-1982).
From 1980 to 1985 he was Director of Youth Music for the Municipality of Jerusalem, resident conductor of the Israel National Youth Band, and Music Consultant for The Rothschild Foundation, Israel. He also taught courses in Music Education at Tel Aviv University and the Reuben Academy of Jerusalem. When he returned to the states, he became Band and Orchestra Director at his alma mater, Byrd High School in Shreveport. Reynolds retired in 1990 with his wife, Arlene Burney, and moved to Petaluma, CA, where he organized and revived the Petaluma Community Band. He retired from directing the Petaluma Community Band in 2009. After Reynolds passed on January 19, 2013, Burney succeeded him as director.
