I had been a fan of the San Francisco Pride Band for many years, and whenever I attended an event featuring the Band, I made every effort to catch the performance. I attended the Castro Street Fair in 2018 and decided to commit to learning clarinet. As a piano player, I have regular gigs in the Castro and I really wanted to make a contribution to the LGBTQ+ community.
I finally got the courage to attend a rehearsal in January 2019 and enjoyed every minute (except when my clarinet squeaked). My debut performance with the Pep Band was the swearing in ceremony for the new SF Fire Chief at City Hall. I’m so glad I’ve also had the chance to perform at the Giants game for LGBTQ+ Night and the Trans March during Pride Weekend.