I must say I feel for the students, parents and educators who have done their damnedest to effect change in regards to the Norwich City School District’s schedule for the 2011-2012 school year. Their worry? That the schedule, as it stands, will have a decidedly negative impact on the high school’s music program. And they’re absolutely right ... it will.

This is the part where I stick my thumbs in my ears, wiggle my fingers and – not that it makes me happy – tell the district’s Board of Education, as well as its administration that – in the not-too-distant-future – I’ll be able to say “I told you so.”

Not that they’ll listen, I’m afraid. How can I be so sure? Because I went through the same nonsense nearly two decades ago. I know exactly where these (extremely talented) kids are coming from.

In other words, I’ve been there. I’ve done that.

A little history. I joined the NHS Jazz Ensemble way-back-when in the 10th grade. I’ve written before how – on one random afternoon – former music director Don Burke unexpectedly called me into his office. At the time, I figured the poor guy was – to put it mildly – sick of my never-ending use of the school’s music hallway as my own personal rehearsal space (I spent hours there perfecting my novice guitar skills, such as they were). Little did I know, however, the man had plans for me.