Of the eight, Stan and I had one thing in common: music. That is, he performed it and I worked at a radio station that played it. He was also the one person who probably had little in common with a majority of the students who listened to the station because he much more preferred our classical and jazz programming. I remember him telling me that the “college rock” we played at night during my freshman year was okay but no one seemed to know anything worthwhile about it. Therefore, he articulated, it was expendable and did not need as much attention lavished on it as it received. I explained I was just a lowly newsreader three days a week and didn’t have much say in programming decisions – more so, I didn’t really know the people who made the programming decisions. Well, except, Dr. Propel.
Oddly, Stan looked like he would have enjoyed the “college rock” sounds, as he sort of had that neo-skater punk look to him, the long hair over one eye and the occasion to wear gaudy designs and logos on vividly colored shirts and patchwork shorts. I don’t think he really had skateboard with him on campus (granted his causal dress was only about 30% skater punk), but I wouldn’t have been surprised if it was something he had hidden away back at home (wherever that was).
Because of Stan’s musical proficiency, he often took part in numerous campus recitals held each semester. The Octumvirate were often asked (almost requested at one point, really) to attend these recitals so we could see our friend in action. Our lack of attendance wasn’t a reflection on Stan but because we didn’t want to spend two or three hours of our evening fidgeting in our seats when we could be home doing something more productive. The best way we found to get around this was pointing out that Stan took part in seemingly every recital the department held. Since there was at least one recital each week (or so it seemed) we flippantly said that we would attend the next recital in a week or so – preferably when the music was more to our liking. Thankfully most of the recitals occurred in the former Calvin Student Association building on campus so we didn’t have far to go when we eventually pulled together some courage (or interest).
We all saw less of Stan as the school year progressed and by my sophomore year Stan had all but disappeared, lost in the Music Building and Recital Hall with his girlfriend, Bethany. I did run into him shortly before I graduated – he was close to graduating or had only done so recently – and we chatted briefly. He mentioned he had heard me a few times on the radio and I made him laugh when I said that the music he had championed against still garnered airtime.
It probably still does.
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Art Of The Big Band
(Bob Mintzer)
Bob Mintzer Big Band
From the album The Art of the Big Band
1990