Biff Wilcox's Accomplishments

What do most musicians live like before there career? Well most people wouldn 't expect them to have a life resembling that of Biff Wilcox. Wilcox had a history that nobody who met him today would realize. He may now be a skilled musician and trumpet fanatic, but not long ago he had very little skill or interest in music. Biff 's most recent performance was at a parade in Anaheim, California. After this parade was over, all the 1st chair players were brought into interviews, with Wilcox appearing on the Late Tonight Show. There he spoke of his life, and he told of his induction into the Anaheim Brass Band. When he was asked about the origin of his musical interests, Biff described being in the hospital for, "a few weeks" due to severe lacerations. This was supposedly from a time when Wilcox

Biff was asked to give advice for any young people hoping to take up music, and he gave three main points. He suggested that all young musicians, before anything else, "Play an instrument that you like," suggesting that a boring instrument will leave you unmotivated. His second advice was for musicians to, "practice consistently." Whether this is every day or every week, even if improvement seems impossible, practice will make everything better. Wilcox 's final piece of advice is slightly less manageable but no less important. He advises all young musicians to, "join a band of people you enjoy playing with," a task not very simple for people who have few choices when it comes to bands to join. Wilcox 's "three pillars of music" closed off the interview, and all related parties left to continue their lives. Wilcox is a very strong example of a broken mold. He plays trumpet well enought to be 1st chair in a relatively skilled band, but he still moves with militaristic discipline reminescent of his darker, bloodier past. When he was young, he was a violent hoodlum, but with practice and training, Biff Wilcox has set us all an example of how to change yourself for the