"There is one thing I would like to address for this speech, something that is not well understood at Edina High School.  The fact that orchestra is vastly superior to band.  While the band may blow what it calls notes out of its irregularly shaped pieces of metal, which we are supposed to consider instruments, the orchestra pull real music out of its strings and its pleasing tones are delivered into the world.  Band players cannot comprehend such a basic element of music as rhythm.  Band players have to march to keep their music in time or tap their feet during a concert, a visual indication of the deficiencies of people in band.  Members of the orchestra, on the other hand, are rarely seen moving their feet during a performance.  Of course, any orchestra member tapping feet in the concert probably recently switched over from band to play a real instrument…"

I remember the last day of Public Speaking, giving my [ungraded] valedictory speech.  I received a few death threats from members of the band that day and the topic has sparked conversation since then.  Whatever the purpose may have seemed, it was one of my duties as concertmaster of the orchestra.  The thought "concertmaster" implies "person who tunes" or "person who shakes the hand of the conductor at the end of a concert" or even "person who determines style of playing."  But it is a well kept secret that one of the responsibilities of the concertmaster is to speak about the importance of the orchestra and of classical music in general.  This is the importance that I was touching upon that day.

And to end on a positive note…

"…There is something good about band, though.  Band is a step up from no music.  Yes the step may be microscopic, but it is a step.  Any of you that decide to get out of music or quit music are putting yourselves below members of the band.  High school isn’t too late to pick up an instrument.  And if you want to improve your life, pick up a real instrument, one with strings, not valves or sticks"