• During my sophmore year at Woodrow Wilson High School in Beckley, West Virginia, we did a Latin Jazz theme as our field show, and one of those tunes was called, "La Suerta De Los Tontos" or the Laugh of the Fools, if my translation is correct. Anyway, I was handed a 3rd. Trumpet part, which wasn't a real big deal at that time because of where a couple of other members of my section thought I wasn't ready for anything higher at that time.

    Fast forward to early 2001 and within a few weeks, my senior class would be graduating, so my band director allows those seniors in the band help those that were either sophmores or juniors learn a piece for their latin inspired show. The piece that he hands out was the exact piece from the 1998-1999 Latin Jazz show, "La Suerta De Los Tontos"! I get my copy, which was also 3rd. Trumpet, Coincidence? I think not!

    I turn my stand around, already having that part memorized and the other two members of my section looked at me like I was nuts! They asked me why did I do that, and I told them that it was the same piece that the band had used a couple of years ago. From the down beat to the last note, it all came back to me. Every note. Every break. All of it had became clear. The looks from them after we played it through went from being nuts to being in awe of knowing that at least someone knew and remembered it.