As an alumnus of John F Kennedy High School, one of our greater rivals was Alcee Fortier High School, especially when it comes to the band. Due to the history of these programs we still go one-on-one or group for group taking shots at each other day after day non-stop, and it's always all good. But personally, Outside of all the smack talk, and ribbing. Fortier was an indirect impact on my band career.
The first band tape I saw of Kennedy, was 94 vs da Fo. I was in my house, with a load of Kennedy cats with band tapes. That's where I heard the name Benny Pete for the first time. The Kennedy cats were constantly hounding my cousin who marched Tuba on Mac, about how Bennie Pete will smoking everybody in the city.
Between that year and 97, although I hadn't heard for sure live I was able to stand on my porch in the st. Bernard project and was able tell who was in Pan Am Stadium, based off song selection alone. When the Fo played cold-hearted and Go the Mighty Tarpons, you could hear that in the Saint Bernard.
I joined Phillips band in the fall of 96 by then I was able to sneak two games but I still have not seen da Fo live.. parade season 97, I heard the full crank up cold hearted from a distance, the swing and sway rocking hard as cheese.
Fast forward my 8th grade year(97), I still hadn't seen for she live but by then. Phillips got a new band director of Mr. Ford. He was from Fortier. And all he ever did was talk about mr. Brimmer.
At the time I couldn't tell you how mr. Brimmer looked, but I learned a whole lot about him thru mr. Ford.
We we're taught Fortier way to the opening whistle commands to Spirit Cadence. But we eventually went back to doing it to John McDonough way due to some people not being able to catch on to the 1-2-3 Knee Drop. We had played "Go the mighty Vikings" .but does would always say "Go the Mighty Tarpons".
During my 9th grade year, Ford will constantly ask me if I wanted to go to full shade, but I still had no clue where it was. And by then I had heard all the stories that I needed to hear from alumni and Kennedy folks that convince me why I shouldn't go. due the reputation the school had.
Fast forward fall 99 I'm in 10th Grade. Unlike most Kennedy students who had to get up early to go to practice, I had to head to NOCCA.
On my commute I encountered nothing but for straight people. A number of times I was asked where I was going with a blue and white uniform on by everybody else on the bus had on the Fortier uniform. Riding that Nashville Express was always tough, because it was always packed and I was always in the back seat. Because I was new to going to Uptown, a place that I had never gone before until then, that ride was always scary because I didn't know what to expect. Eventually I have come to meet a few cool people, as well as some of the rowdy rowdy and Bout It Bout It.
Being in Kennedy's band made that trip a little bit worse, because I had to conceal this especially being that it was my crab year. Of course I made it to NOCCA almost everyday lol. But being in pain and having to see the Fortier from across the field every year was always fun. Same for parade season. Throughout those years I met a bunch of cool friends from for Shay and I even got to meet Mr. Brimmer on a number of occasions.
I will the fan of what forshee did for our band community way back then as I am a fan of it now. Over the years, even with the school being closed for all those years, the Fortier name still bit Rings bells in the city for its reputation and it's band. No matter how you take it, mr. Brimmer played a great part in this because of course he was a music educator.
There are folks who are unaware, but every year the Fortier and Cohen High School alumni Honored Mr. Brimmer. Not just because he was an educator, but because he was a staple of that Uptown community. When you have an impact on the lives of children for over 40 years, two of that's a legendary status.
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