My blog or My novellete?

Star Spangled Planet Of the Apes

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 23:46:34 -0500

I just have to tell this story. Traditionally, at the start of the Grandville High School football game, the marching band thundered their way to the end zone near the American flag and stood in neat rows facing the field, the drum section rooted in the center. The snare drums rolled and the Star S

This Rant Is Overdue

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 22:35:20 -0500

Marching band season started in August with band camp and ended in tandem with the last home field football game. It was also the most fun I had during my last three years in high school. My sophomore year I slung a marching field drum across my shoulder along with several other, more experienced s

Marching Orders and Band Camp

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 00:50:50 -0500

During the end of my freshman year at Grandville High School I was invited to join the marching band for the next season. Being a drummer in the concert band, I couldn’t wait for the opportunity to strap on a snare drum and march at football games, Memorial Day and Fourth of July parades, and around

Cosmic Songs Of the 70s

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 23:09:17 -0500

As a band, we all agreed that the songs we learned and performed were going to be as much like the original recording as possible. Of course, at our ages our individual musical prowess and faculties probably left more than a little to be desired. But we tried to play music well beyond our capabiliti

Wedding Receptions - Now We’re Real Pros.

Mon, 8 Jan 2007 18:57:09 -0500

Playing for wedding receptions in the 1970s was also a part of the Cosmic experience. We liked to believe it was different than playing for high school students, but inevitably ended up being about the same. The only thing we did different was to add a few polkas and more ballads. We also kept the f

The Early Gigs - High School Dances

Wed, 3 Jan 2007 22:04:17 -0500

Most of my first gig experiences were at high school dances and wedding receptions with the Cosmic band. Remember when weddings had live music? Usually the engagements were booked by Scott Scheerhorn, who dealt with the school’s dance, homecoming, or prom committees. An adult student advisor was us

The Cosmic Makeup

Thu, 5 Oct 2006 00:06:54 -0400

The Cosmic band rehearsals had now moved to the basement of Scott Scheerhorn’s house where we intensely learned how to play new songs and our instruments, at least until 10 o’clock, the curfew set by his parents. This would have have been in 1974 and I remember it as a very exciting and educational

Under the Influence

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 10:53:29 -0400

This page is dedicated to the musicians and the music they made that influenced me heavily during the most important change a boy can go through... puberty. The slideshow above is a triumvirate of English bands whose music I knew backwards and forwards, including every lyric.

The Band Room, Music Stores and a Farfisa

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 23:08:44 -0400

During my freshman year of 1973/74 I was playing percussion in the concert band led by Bob Brower. Grandville’s bands were known throughout west Michigan as the best around and this reputation went back many years, even before my Mom led the marching band as a majorette. I won’t share those dates he

A Cosmic Alignment

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 08:28:33 -0400

Now that I had started rehearsing with my first long term band, I found I had a lot to learn. First, I couldn’t expect to be heard over all the amplified instruments when I pounded on Mrs. Scheerhorn’s living room spinet piano. I was going to need an electronic keyboard and amplifier. Second, I had