When I was 16 I had the most amazing music teacher who seemed to have no limits on what he thought was possible. Somehow he managed to take a bunch of average school kids and turn them into a half-decent concert band.
As the only tenor saxophone player in the school, I got to play the lead lines in pieces like The Pink Panther theme tune, Glenn Miller’s In the Mood, and the enormous bass lines from The Crusaders’ Street Life.
Incredibly, Mr Masters secured us a gig playing the national anthem at a Prince’s Trust concert at a big theatre in London for the then Prince, and his first wife, Diana. On top of that, 2 of us had our names picked out of a hat to go to the champagne reception in the presence of the royal couple.
My trumpet-playing friend Benjie and I were the randomly chosen two, and at some point during the evening, we found ourselves in a plush suite hob-nobbing with rock and roll royalty, radio stars and TV celebs, all waiting excitedly for the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Unfortunately, our band outfits were identical to the reception waiting and catering staff, so everyone thought we were there to collect their empty champagne flutes and discarded entrees. When the future King and Di did eventually appear to do their meet and greets, we could not get anywhere near the star-studded lineup and had to settle for leftover vol au vents and discarded caviar.
We were not seen, not heard, and completely misunderstood.
Four decades later, I now help small businesses be seen, heard, and understood by clarifying their message, so they connect with their customers.
At Press Creative we help businesses look good and sound great so that they can grow.
PS. It’s not the same as mingling with some of the most famous people on the planet, but the food is better, and there’s much less clearing up to do.
