| You may find the 20 questions in this quiz | | | | youngest drummer, according to the Seattle |
| surprising, and the answers more so. Unless, | | | | Post-Intelligencer. 2. Herb Allen, age four, |
| of course, you've already read A Song for the | | | | conducted the Seattle Baby Orchestra. 3. Herb |
| World, the remarkable story of the Colwell | | | | Allen, age eighteen, was assistant music |
| Brothers and Herb Allen. (See A Song for the | | | | director of The Good Road. 4. Steve, Paul, |
| World's website, link below). The seed of the | | | | and Ralph Colwell, ages fourteen, twelve, and |
| book was planted in 2003, when with longtime | | | | ten in 1947, were labeled "Motor City |
| friends we were discussing our thoughts for | | | | Bluegrass Legends" by Eugene Chadbourne in |
| the future. An attorney from California spoke | | | | All-Music Guide. 5. The Colwell Brothers, |
| of conflicts facing youth in her city, and | | | | ages nineteen, seventeen, and fifteen, were |
| the desperate need for solutions. "There | | | | contracted by Columbia Records in 1952. 6. |
| ought to be a book about the Colwell Brothers | | | | The Colwell Brothers sang in the Japanese |
| and Herb Allen," she said. It was an idea | | | | Diet in 1957. 7. The Colwells first sang in |
| that everyone in the room responded to. Then, | | | | another language in Switzerland in 1953 for |
| perhaps because I'm a writer, several looked | | | | Robert Schuman, a founding father of the |
| at me. Even if they hadn't, I knew this was a | | | | European Union, and eventually performed in |
| commission I couldn't refuse. I thought it | | | | thirty-seven languages and dialects. 8. The |
| was a story that I knew. But I was wrong. It | | | | Colwell Brothers, in uncounted thousands of |
| was a story nobody knew, bigger than I had | | | | venues worldwide. 9. The Colwell Brothers |
| ever imagined. Writing it was a privilege, | | | | performed in fifty-four countries. 10. The |
| and an adventure. Do you know: 1. Who was the | | | | Colwells traveled farther than the Beatles |
| twentieth century's youngest performing | | | | and Elvis Presley combined. 11. Herb Allen in |
| percussionist? 2. Who was the era's youngest | | | | 1964 introduced the Steel Band of Trinidad |
| orchestra conductor? 3. Who was with the | | | | and Tobago to the U.S. in a national tour. |
| first musical production to tour post-World | | | | 12. Bob Quesnel, original drummer for Sing |
| War II Germany? 4. Who were in the first | | | | Out 65, played continuously for one hundred |
| big-city bluegrass band? 5. Who were the | | | | hours and twenty minutes in 1964 and made the |
| youngest trio contracted by a major record | | | | Guinness Book of World Records. 13. Up with |
| label? 6. Who were the first Western | | | | People's thirty-five-year run was second only |
| musicians invited to sing in an Asian | | | | to The Fantasticks, which closed in 2002. 14. |
| parliament? 7. Who was in the first American | | | | In 1976, Up with People played in 771 U.S. |
| musical group to have a thirty-seven-language | | | | cities to a total live-audience of 3.9 |
| repertoire? 8. Who played in the most venues | | | | million. 15. The Colwells performed 412 |
| internationally of their generation? 9. Who | | | | programs on Radio Congo in 1960 and toured |
| performed in the most countries of anyone in | | | | the country with Up with People in 1968. 16. |
| their generation? 10. Who traveled the most | | | | Up with People toured in Yugoslavia in 1974 |
| miles of any musicians of their generation? | | | | and Poland in 1976 and 1977. 17. Up with |
| 11. Who introduced Caribbean steel bands to | | | | People toured in China in 1978 and 1985. 18. |
| North America? 12. Who set the Guinness World | | | | Up with People toured in the Soviet Union in |
| Record for continuous drumming? 13. Who | | | | 1988,'89, '90, and '91. 19. Up with People |
| created with others the second-longest | | | | casts performed in Super Bowls X, XIV, XVI, |
| running musical of the Twentieth century? 14. | | | | and XX. 20. The Colwells and Allen, with |
| What show set the all-time record for U.S. | | | | others. Symphonies: Up with People performed |
| cities toured in a single year? 15. Who were | | | | with Dallas, Denver, and the Boston Pops |
| the first "outside" performers to tour Africa | | | | (twice each); Winnipeg; Belgian National |
| extensively in the 1950s and 60s? 16. Who | | | | Symphony; and the National Symphony, |
| took the first international musical show to | | | | Washington, D.C. World's Fairs: Expo '67, |
| Eastern Europe in the 1970s? 17. Who took the | | | | Montreal; Expo '74, Spokane; World Expo '68, |
| first multinational musical group to China | | | | Brisbane; Expo '82, Knoxville; Expo '92, |
| after the Cultural Revolution? 18. Who took | | | | Seville, Spain; Expo 2005, Aichi, Japan. |
| the first international musical group to the | | | | Although only one of the above claims ever |
| Soviet Union in the 1980s? 19. Who invented, | | | | made the Guinness Book of World Records, all |
| with others, the non-marching band format of | | | | the answers are believed to be true. |
| the Super Bowl halftime show? 20. Who wrote | | | | |
| shows performed nine times with major | | | | Frank McGee's career as writer and journalist |
| symphonies and at six World Fairs? Answers: | | | | began in the 1960s in Brazil, Indonesia and |
| 1. Herb Allen, age three, the world's | | | | Viet Nam. |