Just a Band Director & His Student

Yes, that's right, it is I (Ethan Stranger once again returning after a Month away from Blogging, which I’ll explain in a future post), preparing to tell y’all the good, the bad & the fun Friendship I had with my High School Band (Picture, Above) and no, this isn’t the Band Director who had that son of his (that I’ve mentioned in my Bullies Club: No More Post), this was the associate Band Director (whom I refer to as “Mr. C” in my “Let the Music Play Post”). You might be wondering why I’ve decided to talk about this, it's because I feel that this was one of the most enjoyable and possible influences I received from a teacher during my High School years.

Our Friendship started all the way back in 2011, before the start of my Freshman Year of High School, during Summer Band Camp (I was a Trumpet Player). Like all good friendships, our bond took some time to get used to, for I had just moved over from Middle School & now had entered the big leagues (especially with Band) like that’s me (Picture, Bottom Center). It was mainly the drum majors (all of whom were pretty senior ladies) who kinda helped me befriend the big guy (and by Big Guy, I don’t mean like he’s Sir Topham Hatt anyway, but if you feel like he is, then that totally fine, I’m sure he won’t mind). 2011 was a big year for my High School (especially for the band) since they won the UIL championship, unfortunately, I didn’t go cause in order to go you needed to pass all of your classes, but since I failed math badly, that meant I was ineligible to attend UIL & (before then) further football games (but my personal experience with the band is for another storytime), as for the Special friendship I had with “Mr. C” (associate Band Director)”, well it literally took off during following the whole competition season, there were times where I would visit him in his office during lunch hours, as well as whenever he would be teaching band (for the 1st few minutes, the main Band Director would teach the class before switching), he would nickname me “Big E” & I would be like the class clown, at one point, he put on “Party Rock” & I danced in front of the class, thus we became somewhat of a comedic duo.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Coq-OlEdZQ8&ab_channel=MichaelSeager)

I guess you can say our friendship throughout my Freshman Year of High School Band was kind of like that of “Tom & Jerry”, for there were times where I (Ethan Stranger) got a bit carried away & he would give me kinda “creepy stare” like he wanted me to own up to my mistake, but in the end, we always had a good laugh out of it. This makes me think about one of my favorite sayings: “The Greatest Gift in Life’s a Friend… pays a daily dividend”.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ozYLwMoZg0&t=5s&ab_channel=AndersVian)

When My Sophomore of High School Band finally rolled in, I was adapted to living among the big leagues, I still kept my humor as well as my edge, plus Mr. C was still around, ready for round 2 against me & my unpredictable humor that I always brought to the band table. It was also around this time that Mr. C began making his move on the HS Dance Teacher, D (whom I mentioned before in my “Let the Music Play Post”), for the duo...well...I myself & even several of the Dance Team Members never solved the mystery of what these 2 love birds saw in each other eyes, cause D was a Dog Person & Mr. C was into Cats, but it’s like what “Al Jarreau" would sing…for all we ever wanted is to move ”Closer to Your Love”. So because of this little “Secret Relationship”, I would friendly tease Mr. C about, though he got back at me (in a friendly teasing manner) about me & this Girl that I had a huge crush on during my High School Years (I’ve mentioned a lot about her in my “High School Crushes: Preparing for Love” post).

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-QaFbRFYb8&ab_channel=AlJarreau-Topic)

Sophomore Year is when Mr. C & I’s friendship began booming, though their friendship went from like “Tom & Jerry” to more like “Spike & Chester” from Looney Tunes, Venom & Eddie Brock or Mr. Nobody & the Chief (From the Doom Patrol Series) or Captain Picard & Q (From Star Trek: The Next Generation) or Wesel & Baboon (From I Am Weasel)

This was due to me attempting to unite both Band & the Dance team together, thus breaking High School History by having both Band & Dance team unite as one to put on a show unlike any other (we were gonna be like Mel Brooks’ The Producers), but sadly, Mr. C turned it down (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaK-Ex38g4c&ab_channel=NathanLane-Topic).

Throughout my Sophomore year, Mr. C & I share some good, some bad & whacked out conspiracy times, one of them includes the 2013 Spring Band Trip, which took us to the Streets of LA (plus it was my 1st ever field trip without my parents, not even as chaperones), while there moments Mr. C would bump into me & some other friends of mine during the trip, he would be a partner with the other Band Directors (plus for those you’ve misbehaved, they’ll end up being partnered with the Band Directors for the rest of the trip & nobody wanted that), I partnered with a few band buddies of mine (but more of this trip can be told for another time).

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnNyxy7XPfs&ab_channel=Gilardinho1990)

When My Junior Year of High School Band started, Mr. C had officially departed for another school (while most fellow band friends made a little tease that my over-the-top humor caused Mr. C to depart), it was mainly caused at the new school, he was offered the position of full-fledged Band Director (for he felt like it was time to no longer be somebody’s 2nd in-command) plus a higher raise (or maybe it was all because both he & D had broken up, for he wasn’t fatherly maternal enough for her two sons & decided to move on with his life, thus becoming like a Horse with No Name, which is a metaphor for a vehicle to get away from life's confusion into a quiet, peaceful place).

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3pteHVvV8Q&list=RDS3pteHVvV8Q&start_radio=1&ab_channel=PatrickCarney-Topic)

Thus My High School Band brought in somebody new (and no, it wasn’t my favorite composer of all time, “James Newton Howard (Picture, Right)”, it was this Guy (Picture, Left) & students were all like “do some Robb-Connaissance, Mr. J!”, while he wasn’t the same loving Mr. C, he did have this adorable son, (whom I nicknamed “Little Joe”). Plus, following Mr. C’s leave, many band friends of mine quickly “Jumped the Shark”, admitting saying the comedic duo between me & Mr. C was the point of staying if those who thought us being a comedic duo made the band fun.

Despite Mr. C’s Departure, I attempted to treat the new Band Director like Mr. C, but we just didn’t have the same clicking magic, so then I decided to turn to the main Band Director (Picture, Bottom) & try to have that same friendship-like spark that I had with Mr. C, while it kinda worked for a few months during my early Junior Year of High School Band (Like I even made him watch this episode of MAD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2Xpjo11tEQ), after a while, it became harsher & he really didn’t have the same sense of humor than compared to Mr. C.

When my Senior year of band rolled around, I got to the point where I wasn’t even trying anymore cause I couldn’t stand band anymore, but what choice did I have, I got tired of the Main Band Director always coming up during rehearsal, trying/making march right, thus I decided to miss competitions & after school practice (mainly because my grade is history was bad & I had to get it up to at least a C), but I’ll eventually return when he made me & (during class) I had a bad habit of moving my chin while playing the trumpet & he'd call me out in front of the whole class (which in my defense, it was embarrassing and wished he would have discussed this after class in his office), more of that is explained on my Bullies Club: No More Post.

As for Mr. C, well I guess his new position as a full-fledged Band Director began taking off & while his relationship with D was over, the duo remained friends, even I remember at one point D said to me that “Mr. C is his own person & busy with his new school”, cause around that I was out of the US & settling in Nepal & wanted to share my adventurous life with when Mr. C, but he never responded to my Gmail or messenger texts. Tragedy soon struck when D

passed away, I remember feeling sad for D’s passing and cherished all of the advice she gave me, like (when it came to finding the Right Girl): “you gotta be sweet to them & be yourself”, Some will come along that just love you. Patience is key”.

Following this, I never heard from Mr. C again, though I don’t think he’s a band director anymore (I think he’s still teaching music in his own way), whatever makes him happy, that’s good, besides it’s probably best that we don’t ever get in touch again (unless he wants to accept this as a challenge). My years with the band are way behind me, and I’m trying to focus more on the present than on the past. Nowadays I’m a Blogger & that’s what’s keeping me happy.

From what I’ve learned from the 2 Year Friendship I have with Mr. C is that it was one of those rare moments where I felt that I bonded with a teacher. And as for me attempting to make the Main Band Director the new Mr. C, well… to be honest, I regret ever doing that, for I realized too late that he was never gonna live up to Mr. C, so that is why I spend more time with the Celeb Dance Team (read more in my Let the Music Play Post) - this made me learn that different people need us to adapt to them in a different way, the same strategy will not work for everyone!

Besides The Main Band Director just wasn’t the comedic type & that there was no way I could change that (that’s the reality for you, just because you had a special bond with someone, doesn’t mean everybody else around you is gonna be the same just for you - I learned this the hard way) & he was facing a heavy loss following the unexpected death of his son (Read more in my “Bullies Club: No More” Post).

So remember for the future, if you had once this special bond with somebody, don’t expect others around to act the same, I know it’s difficult, but being somebody who you aren’t or asking someone else to act in a certain way is like enslaving that person & that’s a path you don’t wanna go down. Besides, you can always just be yourself & maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll probably encounter someone with your same kind of humor or interests - it’s rare in today’s society, but never lose hope, often the unexpected happens & you must take advantage of it before it’s too late. Here’s a cheerful song to cheer us all up, enjoy Mr. C: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHsVtH0CS7I)

-To Mr. C, I just wanna say (Straight from the Heart)... thanks for making my first 2 years of HS Band fun! Though I kinda wished we had more time as being a wonderful Comedic Duo (admit it, you had fun with me, even though there were times I went “Over the Hedge” and at times, you were as Strict as Sir Topham Hatt & that we’re almost relatable as Tom & Jerry), but can you blame me? Back then I didn’t know about my condition, neither did D, I’d been having ups & downs throughout my entire life, just like everybody I remember from the band, so I guess that being sort of a Class-Clown - like figure was the way to go, after all, beggars can’t be choosers. So wherever you are now Mr. C, (either you’re still teaching or not), please give me a sign or a “Positive Review on this post, worked my butt off on it”. Ethan Stranger must take off...now (see ya soon).