When you say you were in a band most people see sweaty musicians, guitars and soulful groupies. That is, until they figure out the band was in high school and the genre was marching band. Playing in the band in high school was a calling. You absolutely had to be really into music to don a uniform that screamed “UNCOOL” and parade in front of the jocks, prom queens and cool kids. But if you did you probably were either great with music, which will come in handy for the rest of your life. Or you’re good with your hands, equally useful…especially if you end up being a surgeon or a great artist or have a regular gig…say on the Letterman show or with Emeril.
Did the boys (and girls) in the band get a rough deal? Probably not. You were surrounded with people just like you and you didn’t have to go to all the trouble of finding them. They were right there with a big “something high school ” on their chest. Bandies were usually the kids who could conform, were disciplined and had a higher purpose. Their parents usually left them alone. How much trouble could you get in with a trombone?
You had built in friends that you spent a lot of time with and you all looked alike. (A concept applauded in most schools today so that everyone starts off the same and the pesky rich kid can’t always have the coolest clothes.) And you’ve got to admit that school spirit and the cheerleaders were nothing without that band. So whether you were a lone drummer or a hip band worthy of Drumroll. Music made it happen.
April 2, 2008. Tags: American icon, Band, cliques, high school, popular, prom queen. Uncategorized. .
Did you sit at the cool kids table in high school surrounded by the popular kids?…or did you sit alone wondering when the prom queen or hunky jock was finally going to recognize you? You have to admit you knew exactly who you were in high school. You knew your place. It’s prom season once again and for many that’s equivalent to sticking a knitting needle in your eye socket and going to bed with a migraine.
We all know that maneuvering within the social confines of a high school society is a little like penetrating a secret cult. Chances are that prom queen never did see beyond the metal mouth and the slight brush of acne. The question I pose is this….do you ever leave high school? Are you doomed for a life of quite desperation and acceptance… or a life of “what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-these-people….I was in the popular clique?”
I’ve been asking this question for years and have gotten the most incredible answers. Some people are true professional successes who never feel good enough and others are still waiting for life to hand them the prizes they feel entitled to. I’m a television journalist who has been posing this question with my writing partner following a summer of watching teen movies as a background for a screenplay. We had to ask the question What the hell happens to all the mean bitchy prom queens in the movies? And why is everyone so obsessed with high school? We made up a questionnaire, passed it around, and were blown away by the answers. High School is pretty much a common experience. But can you leave it behind and get on with your life? I thought I did. I loved high school until my Air Force dad brought us from England to the Bible Belt. So I can see both sides. We want to know your deepest secrets about high school. We want to know those stories of glory and heartache. Anonymous, of course. E -mail us directly at promqueenforever@aol.com or give us an answer here. (Be sure and give your first name only and the year you graduated) I will be taking a look at the common groups that our survey designated. You know, the cheerleaders, the jocks, the bad boys, the bandies….and of course, the prom queens. So brush off those tiaras and football trophies , clarinets and leather jackets. This is your time.
March 19, 2008. Tags: American icon, Band, Cheerleaders, cliques, high school, mean girls, nerds, pupular. American culture, American icons, Cheerleaders, Geeks, Prom Queens, high school, popular. .
