Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Former Band Geek


Before I became one of the Cool People in Life, thanks to my status and identity as a dancer, I was a Band Geek.

Starting in the fifth grade I played trumpet all the way through to my senior year in high school. I never played any sports, so Marching Band inadvertently - and thankfully - provided a built in social life in high school. I never would have attended a single football or basketball game, otherwise. Thanks to the other band geeks, I have good memories of going out to pizza, attending school dances, and toilet papering each other's houses.

It was a little harder playing trumpet when I got braces. There was a lasting imprint from the wire on my front teeth, on the inside of my upper lip, from the constant pressure of the metal mouth piece.

I would have rather been a cheerleader. Maybe it's better I didn't, though. One of my friends was the school mascot and got picked on, sometimes. At football games, dressed in the cougar costume, he would throw candy from a basket into the bleachers. Mean guys would grab the candy and pelt it back at him as hard as they could.

I might have gotten my ass kicked at that school if I had been a cheerleader.

When I did start getting work as a performer, I thanked my parents for making me play the trumpet. The years of musical training came in very handy for vocal auditions and singing rehearsals. Musical directors were always pleased with those of us who read music.

P.S. If you couldn't already tell, I just now finally learned to scan pictures, last week, so be prepared to see even more geeky photos from my past.

You've been fairly warned.

10 comments:

Louise On The Left (Coast0 said...

Oh, my God!

My husband (Pete Larsen) was such a band geek, too!

He's six foot, six inches tall --- and he played the trombone! I have to find and scan a photo of him into my blog. You just motivated me to do that!

Love this posting!

Louise

Lori said...

Love it!

the Constantly Dramatic One said...

Thats you in highschool?Cute.

I would totally have sexually harassed you if you been in my school ;-p

But the chances of that is zero seeing that I went to an all-girls school.

Michael DeAntonio said...

I just took a nap and that photo literally haunted my dreams. Good job.

Peter Varvel said...

LL, thanks! When I get my new micro car, I'll have to drive out for a visit and see if he fits inside, ha ha!

Lor', I think we were band geek soul mates in a former adolescence.

TCDO, we would've had a love/hate friendship if we went to an all girls school together, ha ha!

MV, my pleasure. Stay tuned for more!

Louise On The Left (Coast0 said...

Yeah -- We always laugh about how weird Pete'd look driving a mini coop.

quin browne said...

i love that photo.... and the story.

to have a built in clique, ah... how wonderful! it does leave you with good memories, and people to connect with...


and i'll say it again, i LOVE that photo!!

the last noel said...

You look kinda happy with that guy sitting your leg. Ahem.

Peter Varvel said...

QB, you are my built-in clique, now.

N, that's a girl. And yes, she is a strict, softball-playin' vagitarian.

BMW said...

Oh. My. God.