ramble

 I did not have a storied career in education.  My name is not up on any building or football field.  Alumni groups do not call and beg me to attend their 25th graduation festivals.  Nobody really remembers me in the band business unless I taught them.  Even at that, most have moved on to have a life without me.  And, that is the way it should be.  Anyone still obsessed with his high school band director after 25 plus years must be a bit deranged.

I know when I left high school, I never went back to visit with my h.s. band director - or choir director for that matter.   I did sing in the choir at my choir (Mr. Benningfield) director's funeral.  All of Metze boys just happened to be in town, so we joined the Methodist choir for that occasion.  It was nice I suppose.  My mother sure did like it; but, she could be easy to please when it came to her 4 boys.

There were a few things that were certainly fun & perhaps noteworthy (to coin a phrase by a musician).  I cannot remember the year or other names or much detail ... and I believe I've mentioned this one before.  I was hired to play trumpet at a dance.  I think it was in Hobbs, NM - but it may have been in Clovis.  If Hobbs had a military base in the early 60's, that was it.  It was a big dance band - sightread the songs - fun - good Lubbock musicians throughout the band.  The driver had one of those giant Cadillacs from the 60s with bench seats.

I rode in the front in the middle - happens when you are one of the youngest.  I think brother Jim played trombone that night.  The driver was a big guy.  I cannot remember his name.  Played bass fiddle.  He was very well know in the Lubbock jazz music scene.  I think he carried his bass in the trunk of that massive Cad.  I know, we use to carry a bass fiddle in the trunk of my 1963 Pontiac.  Big Trunks.  

I was quite impressed with the Cadillac.  Most of all was it's automatic headlight dimmer -- 2 lane roads (another reason to think it was Hobbs) - as we met a car on those lonely nighttime backroads of the Texas Panhandle, the car would automatically dim it's headlights.   I was so jealous that my 56 Chevy didn't have that.

Anyway, the job was a 3 or 4 hour gig.  It was for a military base dance - probably officer's club.  I do feel certain it wasn't the local VFW hall.   We'd play about 50-60 minutes or so; then, we'd take a break.   Out of nowhere came these guys carrying harmonicas - all kinds of harmonicas.  They were THE HARMONICATS.  I had seen them on the Ed Sullivan show several times.  They were a fun group.  I'd have to say that our "breaks" that night were more fun than most.  That's all I can remember about the night.  You can look the Harmonicats up online.  They sold over a million copies of "Peg of my Heart."   I always say that I played backup for the Harmonicats.  That wasn't really true.  Still, that is what I said.

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FYI - JUST asked Google who was the short guy  who played with the Harmonicats.  Turns out I was a bit wrong.  Johnny Puleo (look him up).  Dwarf.  Look him up and learn a bit of history about harmonica groups of the 50s and 60s.  He also appeared in the 1956 movie Trapeze.  I still intend to say I played backup for the Harmonicats.  When you are 84, you can make up all sorts of things.

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Just like when I was in Texas Tech and played in the orchestra, we played back up for Captain Kangaroo one concert.  He never knew I was there.  Still - it was fun.  There was the time the Four Freshmen came to Tech for a concert.  Afterwards - we "special" people got to go back stage and watch as the Freshmen did a little joint concert back stage with 4 guys from the Tech choir department.  That was fun to share.

But, probably one of the most fun things I got to do ------- after I graduated and began teaching, I got a call from my old trumpet teacher, Richard Tolley.  He needed me to come play2nd trumpet with the band for the Barnum & Bailey circus.  Yes, for 3 - 4 performances, I sat on the floor and sightread marches and waltzes while the Barnum & Bailey Circus did it's performance.  I remember being a bit worried at the time because I did not have a musician's union card.  But, nobody else seemed to mind.  Playing for a real circus.   Nobody asked me to quit my real job and join the circus.  Going to clown college was a bit of a stretch for me.

There were probably other things.  They'll come to mind later.  The birth of my 3 children ranks right  up there - but, y'know, that really is a different thing.

see ya, mtz