LKF # 2

Little Known Fact #2

I played the trumpet in band for 6 years.

I think that I was a mediocre trumpet-eer, not great but I could play the songs ;)

I can’t remember a better teacher than Mr. Benson, who taught me through all those years. He was a wonderful man, who loved his job and cared for his students. He taught me in Jr. High as well as through high school but he retired just before our senior year. Sadly, he passed away the year after we graduated high school. He had touched so many lives through his years of teaching, one of which was mine. He was a patient teacher, who had no problem letting me completely interrupt class when I got into debates with my fellow band-mates, though he did boot me out of class once for one such an instance. (Now on that note, I’ll let you know that these debates usually happened with Louis, who happened to be the smartest kid in class. I lost. A lot.)

My favorite memory of band class was the one day in grade nine; I boycotted and wanted to change instruments. Mr. Benson wouldn’t let me change to sax which is what I really wanted to play, but since dad owned a trumpet that’s what I got stuck with. Mr. Benson told me that the band class (all nine of us) already has a good distribution of saxophones, but he humored me and let me take up percussion for the day. Needless to say, I quickly learned that though I can keep a beat, I have no rhythm. I sucked and come the next class, I picked up my trumpet and stuck with it for the next three years.

Cheers!