Grade School Music and Mr. Killam

In addition to my small but growing record collection there was a musical outlet at school and that was Mr. Killam's music classes.  In elementary school we had 1 period of music class... was it everyday?  Or just a few times a week...?  At any rate we would march ourselves up to the music room and Mr. Killam would teach us how to sing songs and eventually we would sing for the Christmas concert or some such school event.  Band hadn't started yet for us; we would be able to join in 6th Grade.  I was very much into the drums although my kiddie drum set was long gone and a distant memory.  I had rhythm, I had music who could ask for anything more?

At one point Mr. Killam had a song that required hand percussion with many different parts.  I believe I volunteered for the bongos but then he demonstrated what the clave (pronounced klah-vay) was doing and I switched.  I do remember some classmates looking at me like I was crazy, as in "You're crazy to give up the bongo part!  Drums!" but the clave rhythm was much hipper and fun to my ears.  Plus you can't leave an important part like the clave to just anybody!  Who's gonna play it?  Donna Smith?  Rene LaPierre?  Hell no.

Music class was fun, maybe more fun than lunch and recess.  I was into it and Mr. Killam knew I was into it.  I think that's why he consistently selected me to play instruments when required.  I liked singing all the corny songs and I loved the fact that we got up in front of an audience and performed.  When it was over they clapped no matter how good or awful it was. I liked the applause.

So eventually we arrive at 5th grade.  Other highlights from 3rd-5th grade include playing "Crispy Critters" by C.W. McCall for the class on Mrs. Vachon's record player which almost cause a riot (3rd grade); learning how to sing "Silent Night" in German for a Christmas pageant in 4th grade; and getting a part in a class play in 5th grade only to throw my neck out of whack on the playground and missing my chance to act.  It's O.K. though.  I've met many actors in my life and they are all psychotic.

Then one day they brought us all down to the gym to hear the High School Band play.  We thought it was just a free day since it was close to the end of school.  Sitting on the bleachers with my buds I was transfixed by the drums.  Oh I had heard the band before but I realized this semi-private show was a little more important so I was a little more focused.  Ms. Divers was the director, a manly woman, but a good person.  She explained that in the next few weeks we would have a chance to try out instruments so that we could participate in the band program.  I already knew what I wanted to do.  I think the band played a few pieces but the one that caught my ear was "The Mickey Mouse March" and the drums had a chance to do the famous roll off, like the one you hear at the beginning of a 20th Century Fox movie.  I was hooked.  I knew some of the high school kids vaguely from hanging around the Colebrook Country Club pool (please... its not that kind of country club) where I also discovered Cheap Trick.  "Live At Budokan" had been released one summer and it was the soundtrack for the entire summer.