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Not Exactly The Cover Of Rolling Stone, But Not Bad For An Old Retired Guy.

AwayWeGo

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
15,949
Reaction score
2,033
Location
McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.
Resorts Owned
Grandview At Las Vegas

[triennial - points]
My home county's sr. citz. monthly magazine, the Golden Gazette, featured me in its August 2025 cover story.

The internet link is here.

The author wanted to feature a married couple from Fairfax Band who have literally been with the band since Day One, when they were both junior high school kids. (They married after college & now they're grandparents.) But that couple was not available for interview, so the Golden Gazette had to settle for me. (I've only been with Fairfax Band 50 years.)

Both my sons played in high school band. One still plays in Fairfax Band. One of my granddaughters is already a band geek in Florida (dum major, concert band, jazz band), & she's only 16.

Band geekdom apparently is a family affair.

Is this a great country or what ?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​
 
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Band geeks are the best. I think you can go a few more years!
 
That is very cool!

Band geeks, we happen to like them. Our kids were all in band in elementary, junior and high school, and some kids even get scholarships to be in the band in college.
 
Nice article and hobby. I wish I would have kept playing my high school assigned instrument—baritone. However, there was little encouragement from my Dad. He called it a tuba, stuffed things into it when I practiced and kept at me to choose a smaller instrument, like a flute.
 
Very nice article Alan!! Congrats ~ very rare nowadays for anyone to stick with anything for any length of time ~ let alone 50 years!! What an accomplishment!!! :clap:
 
Very awesome, Alan! Congrats! You’re a star!
 
That's great, congrats!
 
Loved the article. Congratulations for being featured.
 
You found something to live for. Great Article.

Bill
 
What a great article Alan! Nice to see you and read about your years as a "band geek."
 
Good for you!
 
Very well written article.
On my very short list of regrets is giving up violin in high school
because it wasn't 'cool'.
 
Nice article and hobby. I wish I would have kept playing my high school assigned instrument—baritone. However, there was little encouragement from my Dad. He called it a tuba, stuffed things into it when I practiced and kept at me to choose a smaller instrument, like a flute.
That's cool. I was a percussionist (snare, bass, tympani, and glöckenspiel) in junior high, but when I got to high school they didn't need another percussionist. I ended up playing euphonium (baritone horn) and played it all through high school and the first couple of years of university. My late wife played the flute, and carrying a flute around was definitely easier than a baritone!!!

I lived about a mile from the school. There were no buses in those days, and nobody used backpacks. With my briefcase/book bag in one hand and the baritone case in the other, and in the middle of a snowstorm, it was not always fun. I more than once thought it would certainly be easier with a smaller instrument! :wall: :D
 
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Congratulations on a lifetime of sharing your talent and bringing joyful music to the world!
 
Wonderful article, Alan! I've always loved how you share your music with TUG - we get so much out of your stories without ever hearing you play a note. :)
 
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