Ann Marie grew up on a farm near Jackson, New Jersey. She was the middle child, two years younger than her brother, but a year older than her sister. As a kid, she enjoyed playing with her siblings on the farm, and going over her friend Christie’s house, where the girls spent a lot of time playing with Christie’s pet llama.
In school, Ann Marie was a good student. She got good grades in all her classes, especially math, and was well known as the lead kazoo-ist in her school’s marching band. She was very serious about her instrument, and amazed students and teachers alike by playing the entire “Blue Danube Waltz” in one breath.
Unfortunately, when she was thirteen her band director retired and was replaced by someone who stubbornly insisted that the kazoo was not an instrument he would allow in “his band.” With this, the entire slide whistle section and some of the harmonica players as well quit in disgust, but the director refused to change his mind.
At fourteen, she joined the swim team and the school track team. She was a good swimmer, and a fast runner, and easily outdistanced most of her teammates.
When she reached high school, both teams grew too competitive for her liking, and she once again quit. She rejoined the band, much to the delight of her friends and family. Since the high school had a different band director, she was once again allowed to play kazoo, and even got a solo during the spring concert. However, in an effort to impress the audience with her well-known “one breath” trick, she fainted halfway through and had to be carried off the stage. This episode was so embarrassing that Ann Marie stopped playing for the rest of her time in high school.
Ann Marie graduated high school with high grades in everything. She was accepted into college shortly after, and currently lives on campus with her cat, Jojo. She has tried playing kazoo again, but she still worries that she might forget to breathe.
