My High School Alma Mater just cancelled their marching band last year ... so sad. They DID pick up an orchestra teacher (a nun) from a large Philly school that closed, so they still have music, but nothing at the football games. I used to love gameday when the football team would play before and after the BAND SHOW!

Boo,
Glad you like Larry - he's among the best I ever heard, and he's a gem of a human too. Works local to Philly and wherever the wind blows him. I think he's pushing 75-80, but I'm just guessing, based on what I've seen him do and following the timeline. I'm sure he's at least 15 years my senior, and I'm not yet 60.

Don and Lynn's shop (Proline Music) exists mostly on the success of their teaching program. They have 300+ students each month ($85 per), and they feature a band program that gets 4 or 5 students together, they learn 5 tunes and then showcase them in a local place .... great PR and great for the kids. The internet is as bad as it is good ... I think you need a good balance of cyber to bricks for any business to survive today. Without the internet - many of us here would never have met!

Russ,
I agree about all your points about Trane - great technician, stylist, pioneer etc ... just need more tone. I just GOTTA have more tone! I got a feevah .... and the only prescription is ...
(well, you see where I'm going with this)