Dear Mr. Thorne

Micheal Jackson, a theme in which we made a successful year performing, made a movie, that movie is called This is It! Well ironically this it! Congrats Mr. Thorne, 36 years ago you began a career that no doubt has changed lives of hundreds of kids in the bands you tought, including me. Almost two years ago I joined this band, and i didnt know a thing, along with everything else in life i was totally clueless to the language we call music, and the first first thing you say is, "hello joe." Why the name Joe slipped out i have no idea, but the next question I heard was "you wanna play tuba?" at the time I simply thought, well ok i have no idea how but sure, at that time i had noooooo idea what was in for me, like getting ran over by a trailer, dancing through parades and half time shows, running laps when i was goofin off , and when wasnt I? if it wasnt for your work i wouldnt be able to say "one time at band camp", i wouldnt be able to play instruments, i wouldnt have gone to all those contests, walked into the light with my sousaphone in the tunnel at edwardsville right before my first fieldshow. I wouldnt have played field music in front of the Statue of Liberty, I wouldnt have stood on the 86th floor of the empire state building, i wouldnt have stood in the middle of the grand central station, i wouldnt have gotten ripped by some jamaican guy in china town, i wouldnt have almost gotten in a fight with some random guy, i wouldnt have went to broadway, i wouldnt have played with a professional, wait i have everyday, i almost forgot you were a pro...i wouldnt have went on a cruise on the hudson river at night when the horizon is lit up with the most beautiful sight ive ever seen, i wouldnt have walked through central park and spoke with you about stuff i cant even remember, i wouldnt have seen the world trade center ground zero sight, i wouldnt have seen the site that changed america, i wouldnt have went to a city where all walks of life take their place in existence, i wouldnt have made the friends i have now, i wouldnt have cleaned the muddy floor of the band room after the tree fell, i wouldnt have spent all those nights on a school bus on the way home from a field show, i wouldnt have spent the night on a charter bus, i wouldnt have marched in all those parades you scheduled, i wouldnt have marched in all those field shows you scheduled, you put the work in making them happen just as much or more than we did, i wouldnt have ever been to the east coast if it hadnt been for you (and jam) i wouldnt have learned all i know now, when i walk out those doors next tuesday its gonna be be hard to take that this the last time ill study under you. We havent always seen eye to eye, ive been scolded more than ive been complimented, but that built me, thank you Mr. Thorne, thanks for the passes 8th hour, for the lessons, for suckin me into jazz band, marchin band, the doughnuts, the hot chocolate on the cold days and water on the hot ones. thanks!
                                                                                                   .with subtle sincerity,
                                                                                          The Almighty Zen Master, or Noah...