September 1965, 7th grade, Parkway Jr. High School next to the Whitesboro Sr. High School. Kids from 4 elementary schools go to Jr. High. This year 7th and 8th grades are so big both can't fit in the Parkway School at the same time. 7th grade goes from 7:00 AM to 11:30 and 8 grade goes 12:00 PM to 4:30 PM. Mr Cantwell needed some Jr. High band players in the Marching Band for football games. The Marching Band practices at 3:00 PM. Only 7th graders can practice at 3:00 PM because 8th graders are in classes till 4:30 PM. I was one of the 5 or 6 players added to the Marching Band.

The Jr. High wasn't serving lunches 1965-66 because 7th and 8th grades were only half days. The 7th graders in Marching Band could go the Jean's across from the school or Golden Triangle.

We have a new band director, Mr. Turro. He just graduated from Ithaca College. He has lots of rules. No gum chewing. He found someone chewing gum and put that kid to put his gum on his nose till end of rehearsal. Another time he had the trumpets play their part - each of us alone. If it wasn't perfect you were moved to the last chair in the section. Nobody in the trumpet section could play their part perfectly so everyone ended up in the starting position. Another time Mr. Turro lectured us about the importance of practicing till playing your part perfectly. He said "If you can play all of your music with no mistakes then you don't need to practice at home at you can call me by first name!". We were walking out of the band practice and another trumpet player asked me Mr. Turro's first name. I said "Louie". Mr. Turro was behind me. He grabbed the front of my shirt and pushed me against the wall and said "I never want to hear you saying that again!". I am still practicing my music.

In October Mr. Turro announced that he is starting a Stage Band like the Sr. High Stage Band. The Sr. High Stage Band played at New York World's Fair earlier in 1965. I was the first chair first trumpet in the concert band so I was the first trumpet in the stage band - Lead Trumpet. Mr. Turro explained how the eighth notes looked the same eighth notes in concert band, but these notes are swing notes. He sang the difference between plain eighth notes and swing eighth notes. We played a lot of music wrtten by Art Dedrick. I remember one was called "Blue Jeans Blues". We played in the Spring Band Concert after the concert band played. In June 1966, Mr Turro told Darryl on alto sax, Gary on Tenor Sax and me on trumpet that were becoming now also in the Sr. High Stage Band starting in July.