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Peter Thomas had played his alto saxophone for school bands, town bands, and amateur wind ensembles but never for a specifically lesbigay event. Actually, until 1992, he didn't know that there was such a thing as a "pride band."
"I received a pamphlet on the Lesbian & Gay Bands of America from my sister who had seen the San Francisco freedom band play at the 1992 San Francisco Pride march," says Peter, "That was around June. Later that same year, I took a course on gay and lesbian culture at the Church Street Center. One of the exercises we did in class was to think of something each of us could do for the community and draw up an action plan. My plan was to organize a band."
According to Peter, that course "gave me the push to do something." Through some networking, he got in touch with Leah Wittenberg, who was involved with organizing the 1993 Vermont Pride. By becoming part of the Pride committee, he met up with others interested in getting their instruments out of mothballs and playing for the yet unnamed Pride band. For a month before Pride, eight musicians rehearsed marching and playing, many for the first time since high school. Since then, the band has become a fixture in the Vermont Pride march, playing in every march except for 1995 due to rain.
In 1997, the "Pride band" officially became the Green Mountain Freedom Band, complete with uniforms and a more diverse repertoire that includes not only the traditional marches but classical, ragtime, and pop. The band also hopes to play more year around as opposed to just Pride day. Since September 1997, they have been meeting the third Monday of every month for a rehearsal just so they don't get rusty.
Another important milestone for the Green Mountain Freedom Band was its official affiliation with the Lesbian and Gay Bands of America (LGBA), whose pamphlet inspired Peter to put together the band in the first place. LGBA is comprised of over 20 freedom bands around the country as well as in Australia, Canada, and Norway. Peter has marched with New York's Big Apple Corps band and played in its concert band. In August, Peter and one other member of the Green Mountain Freedom Band joined other musicians from New York, Montreal, and Rochester to march in Montreal's Pride. The biggest thrill for Peter will come in August 1998 when he and over 40 others from freedom bands around the world gather to play at the Gay Games in Amsterdam.
All in all, this is not bad for an organization that got its start as an exercise in a gay and lesbian history class.
For more information, contact Peter Thomas at 878 1123.
