Jan Swenson was just hired to teach band at a neighboring school in 1970 when she stopped by New Glarus High School to see its âspectacularâ band.
She went to the schoolâs band room â a classroom with a capacity, she remembers from seeing on a sign, of 36.
âIâm standing there waiting for the kids to come in, and they come in, and they keep coming, and they keeping coming,â Swenson said.
Larry Daehnâs high school band included about 100 students. At the time, the schoolâs entire student population was about 150.
It turns out his students knew something the rest of the music world would only later come to appreciate.