The old wooden bass drum was part of the Queen Anne High School music program from approximately 1915 speculated Mr. Edward Ottum, band and orchestra teacher in the 1950s.
Plastic and metal drums replaced wooden ones many years ago, but our drum lived in the instrument room with one of its sides split. Around 1954, band-member friends started an Oom Pah Pah German band for fun.
We played at assemblies, took part in the annual Kuay Kapers variety show, and later marched in many parades.
We called ourselves The Queen Anne Hill Deutschlanders and members who graduated would come back in the summers to swell our ranks from six or seven to up to 15 musicians.
We had a very impressive advance unit. In front Rachel Kapfer ('58), one of the best majorettes in the city, wore fantastic costumes and tossed and twirled her baton.
Behind Rachel came our large banner carried by two tall and leggy blonde or red-headed girls. One wore abbreviated lederhosen and the other a mini dirndl. Everyone oohed and ahhed.
Then came our ragtag band wearing funny hats and clothes and playing sour music. I always had a string of rubber wieners hanging out of the split side of my bass drum.
People loved us. We won Best Entry in the North City Pioneer Days Parade. Rachel was named Best Majorette at the Mason County Forest Festival in Shelton.
For several years we followed the prize-winning Queen Anne Commercial Club floats in the Seafair parades.
On some weekend evenings we would go down to the then sleazy First Avenue and play on street corners among all the taverns and peep shows. The group disbanded in 1959 when I got busy with the UW, but the drum stayed in my mother's basement.
I used it in window displays at Crissey Florist. It hung on my bedroom wall and was featured in the spread The Seattle Times did on my digs in the historic Pittsburgh Apartments on John Street.
It made several more moves with me around Lower Queen Anne, and was always part of our Uptown Alliance Sunday in the Park celebrations in the future Counterbalance Park site at Queen Anne Avenue North and Roy.
Last December I used it in a window display at the Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce to promote our new park's Roasty Toasty Holiday Celebration.
It stayed in the Chamber back room until they recently moved to smaller quarters. Chamber Director, Jill Arno, followed my suggestion and contacted the Queen Anne Historical Society and they got the drum to John Hennes ('51) of the Queen Anne High School Alumni Association.
It made an appearance at the Aug. 23 alumni picnic and at other events celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Queen Anne High School.
It will find a home in the alum's vault of QAHS treasures and memorabilia.
Our old bass drum has come home again.[[In-content Ad]]
