The Poland Bulldog Marching Band was a beautiful thing. Out of a population of 800 students, 300 were in the band. Lined up, they stretched the entire length of the football field, shoulder to shoulder, and five people deep. And they were good, really good. They played complicated music that professional musicians in orchestras were paid to play. They marched intricate drills that many college bands could not pull off. People called them the best band around. No one ever made fun of kids in the band in Poland. In twenty-some years, the Gods of all marching band directors, Phil Giannini and Ron Stimple, had built an entire army of trumpets, saxophones, tubas, trombones, frumpets, baritones, drummers, clarinets, and flute players.

Mr. Stimple retired in 2003.

This is where our story begins.