20 Years Ago

20 years has been on my mind a lot lately. Specifically, what I was doing 20 years ago and how it doesn't feel like it's been 2 complete decades since I did all of that crap.

Today of all days is particularly special. 20 years ago today (4/17/1994) I was inducted into Phi Mu Alpha fraternity. We're a professional music fraternity, not just a generic greek social organization. So we all have a musical connection. My principal instrument was voice, but I also played piano and guitar back then (neither of them very well). It's very interesting to see how many different directions my pledge class has gone in the last 20 years.

My pledge class had 6 men and we pledged under 36 brothers. Now, the 6 of us are all over the place. I'm a software developer and can't believe I still sing in a church choir. One guy is a firefighter on the coast now, another is a Drill Seargent in the Marines (and very high ranking). One plays bass for a guitar phenom in Kentucky after retiring from the Army, and another teaches music at an English speaking school in Romania. And then there's Josh Day. He was the drummer for Sara Bareillis for the last 9 years, and also played on tour with Maroon 5 and has appeared on countless studio records. I'm very proud of all of my pledge brothers. But I swear it doesn't feel like it's been 20 years since we were all skinny freshmen at Appalachian State, music majors with a common and lifelong bond.

I'm still looking for some of the pictures from back then, but here's one from last year. The last of our gang finally got married, and we all sang one of our fraternity songs at his wedding.  Apparently, she had no idea that was coming and we really got her.

A serenade to a girl at evening

When I was a pledge, we had to wear special hats and get all of the brothers to sign them. And we had to make and carry pledge paddles. Then after initiation Nationals sent me the shingles that every brother had framed and hung on their college apartment walls. I found mine the other day, and got a few pics of it all. Then the kids found me and got in on the action. The hat still fits, but is a lot tighter than it used to be.

I still look cool

My pledge paddle was a piano with all of my pledge brothers names on it too

shingles, hat, pledge books, and paddle

silly Evil Genius try to play my paddle.

Again, it doesn't feel like 20 years. I still consider these other men to be my brothers. One of them is in Bigun's indian princess tribe with his youngest daughter. The mountain house that we just got rid of? Owned it with two other brothers. I know it is a lifelong bond, but I'm still surprised to see the 20th anniversary come around.

Once A Sinfonian, Always a Sinfonian. Long Live Sinfonia!