JOE BOGA PLAYS FOR PRESIDENT ELECT BARACK OBAMA

(Written by Joe Boga)

The whole thing was kind of nuts. One of my friends heard a rumor on Sunday that Barack might stop at the Glider Diner for breakfast the next day with our U.S. Senator Bob Casey, who regularly eats there. My mom agreed to take us, even though she said we would have to leave at 5:30 in the morning! She also kept saying that we should just be aware that we were probably going to just have breakfast and go to school, because she doubted Barack made many unannounced stops like that, so we shouldn't be disappointed if it didn't happen - but oh man was she wrong!

So anyway, we got there when the diner opened. At about 8:00 AM, my mom was saying he clearly wasn't coming, and we should get going to get to school - and right then the waitress came over and said she just got word he would definitely be there at 9:00 AM!

When Barack came in I took my horn out, and when he and Senator Casey came over to shake hands I introduced myself to him and he asked if I was going to play something for him. Before I started, he hushed everybody (even all the loud reporters and cameramen got quiet) and directed everyone's attention to me.

I had written a blues for him while we waited for him to arrive, so I played the head and a few choruses of that. While I was playing he seemed to be really digging it, and shouted out here and there. When I was done, he yelled out a big "HO!" and gave me a hug and told me I sound great. Senator Bob Casey was patting me on the back and looking pretty proud. Senator Obama was grinning like crazy! Everybody in the place erupted in applause. I gave him my name and phone number and told him I would play his inauguration, and he said, "We'd love to have you!" Then he chatted for a while with my friends and me.

I had an excuse to go in to school late that my mom wrote for me, and Barack laughed pretty hard when he read it. She wrote, "Please excuse Joseph for being late to school today due to a severe case of Democratic Fever, for which he was treated at the Glider Diner by Barack Obama." Barack took the written excuse and under her signature in big black marker he wrote, "Excuse Joseph!" and signed his name.

He was a really sincere and genuine guy, very comfortable and truly interested in us. It was a great experience. I wasn't really nervous. At first I was, thinking "Wow, this is Barack Obama!" but when he came over and we exchanged a few words, he totally put me at ease. His presence is just very down-to-earth.

Videos of me and my horn playing for Obama were all over national news! So far, people saw me on Hardball, Anderson Cooper, Inside Edition, MSNBC, NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and then somebody saw me on MTV (hahaha imagine THAT? Jazz on MTV!). And friends are calling and emailing from all over the country to tell us that the pictures of me playing for Obama were on the front page of their local newspapers.

This has been a wonderful week for me. I got an excellent report card - a 96 average, went to All-State Orchestra and got first chair, played the heck out of Shostakovich 5 and Jupiter; and got to play for the next President of The United States!

Once again, I am deeply grateful to all of you for this wonderful trumpet. Your horns change lives. Thank you for everything.

Sincerely,
Joe Boga