I have now been a high school choral director and general music teacher longer than I taught high school band. The first few years of my teaching career were at three schools before I landed in Tallassee and homesteaded: Frisco City High School, Zion Chapel High School, and Robert E. Lee High School. Those years at the top of my profession, now a quarter-century ago, left me with memories I shall never forget.  Such as . . .

Tragedy and Triumph: Frisco City was in the semifinal game with Notasulga.  One of our drummers lived to antagonize everyone around him with inappropriate comments. I kicked him out.  The next Monday morning, my principal was under siege from every relative on this child’s family tree.  I must give my principal credit, as she did not allow me to sit in on the meeting as she led the parents to a calmer conclusion: the boy would have remained in band on probationary status at the principal’s discretion, but since football season was over, so was this child’s time in band.

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