West Vancouver Band under the direction of Len Whitely

Len Whitely was an excellent horn player and conductor of the West Vancouver Youth Band in the 60s and 70s. Not only one of the very best trumpet players I ever had the pleasure of meeting, but he was also a brilliant comedian at band dinners, etc. He would perform a very entertaining routine by using a hand-puppet ("The Professor") to operate the trumpet valves, which didn't always go quite as planned -- all of which lead to great comedy, always leaving the crowd wanting more. One of the proudest moments of my life was he learned (years after his stint as Band Director) that I managed to put together a half-decent rock band a few years after graduating high school that eventually led to many in-town gigs for 5 or 6 nights a week, and being paid a minimum of $3500/week. When Len learned about my band, he told me how proud he was of me -- it was the first positive response I'd ever received from an adult in regards to me starting my own band. During our West Van Youth Band practices, Len would often explain various aspects of performing for a crowd, which really helped me to put together my own band, and learn how to entertain an audience. I had a crush on his youngest daughter, but I was far too young to handle it ultimately ruining our relationship, mainly due to my own immaturity and absolutely stupid behavior. I'll never forget him. He was an inspiration for so many people.