Bob Lalko

It’s been eight years that I’ve known you and you’re still the happy cheerful teacher that you’ve always been. I remember when you first started teaching me percussion at the beginning of 5th grade. You had already been teaching my brother so you knew my family and had seen me before when I came to pick him up. At the time you started teaching me, I was new to the percussion thing so I wasn’t very good. Despite that, you were very understanding and caring, teaching me the basics. I remember going through the different notes and how to play them with you giving me step-by-step instructions. Not only that but you taught me a lot about music theory which I never would have learned about if it wasn’t for you. You taught me how to properly hold sticks and to play in the middle of the drum. I remember one time I was struggling with keeping my fulcrum so you put a carrot in between my finger to help. Going through the years we worked on all kinds of stuff from snare drum music to drum sets to mallet instruments. You always ask me if there is anything I needed help with for band class and you were always interested in what I was playing. You showed me that it was ok if I couldn’t play something because if I just kept practicing I would eventually get it. I remember the day that I came into your room holding back my tears to tell you that I didn’t want to play the drum set anymore. I gave you no rhyme or reason why but without any questions you said ok and we moved on from it to other stuff. You didn’t try and tell me that that was the most important part of percussion or anything, instead you showed me that there were tons of other things I could play and opened up a whole new world to me. You always tell me fun stories about your life and what you have done. We nerd out with each other about movies or t.v shows. You give me nicknames like T-dog or (my personal favorite) Tyloren. You tell me stories about your other students and how you tell them about things that I’ve done and how it’s inspired them. When I got to high school all you wanted to do was help me with whatever I was doing. Whether it was helping me with marching band audition to make sure that I got the instrument I wanted or just going through certain things that I was struggling with within class, you knew what I needed and helped me through it. Of course I didn’t exactly get the instrument I wanted in the marching band, but you didn’t let that get me down, instead you made me actually like the instrument I was put on. You always pushed me in ways I would have never pushed myself. You pushed me to do Solo & Ensemble or even as much as an audition for a better band. Heck, you want me to get better so much that this past summer you lent me your entire xylophone to practice four mallets with. Thank you Drummer Bob so much for everything you have done for me over the past 8 years of my life. Even though we only see each other for 30 minutes every week I always look forward to it. Without you, I think I would have quit music a long time ago and I am very glad that I didn’t. Just know that I am forever grateful for the time we shared together and will forever cherish it.

Tyler Hughes