 Interview and intro by: Matthew Parrish / Photograph by: Matthew Parrish French Horn Rebellion: "They Used To Call Me"Growing up can be really rough sometimes. Even the people closest to you can call you names that really hurt and sometimes stick with you. I've had so many mean nicknames that mean kids called me growing up. But in the end none of them stuck - I think it's because none of them actually had any truth behind them. It was just kids being mean. --
Robert Perlick Molinari: When I was in 3rd grade, kids used to make fun of me.
Truth.Explosion.Magazine: Like pick on you a little here and there?
RPM: No, not just a little bit, but a lot.
TEM: I had a similar situation in grade 7 – but I had a wicked teacher who saved me.
RPM: Well, my teacher at the time, Mr. Otto would actually join in on the fun sometimes.
TEM: Well, the question begs, why did everyone make fun of you?
RPM: I’m guessing it probably was because I never combed my hair, wore huge glasses, and always looked unkept.
TEM: Yeah but what kid isn’t dirty in grade 3! At least you weren’t one of the B.O. kids in gym class!
RPM: (Pauses, looks uncomfortable) Yeah, I guess you could say I was always a dirty kid, but the name they used to call me is truly the best.
TEM: Do you mind sharing the name?
RPM: This is a little embarrassing, but they used to call me “The Blob".
TEM: That’s so mean. How did that make you feel?
RPM: Well, at the time, I found it offensive. Sometimes kids wouldn’t even touch me because I had “blob germs.” But as I've grown older, I've come to cope with the name.
TEM: Can you explain?
RPM: When you search "The Blob" in google, the first thing that comes up is (possibly) one of my favorite movies of all time, " Indescribable, Indestructible, Nothing Can Stop it! The Blob". So that’s helped me a lot as I’ve gone forward.
TEM: That’s wicked! So it’s sort of empowering now!
RPM: I guess you could say that.
TEM: Well if it means anything – you seem like a cool dude now!
RPM: Well you see, 3rd grade was really the beginning for me, the start of a transformation. That was the year I started to play French horn. So from there, I would start as a geek and end up to where I am now.
TEM: So after you started playing the French horn things started to get better?
RPM: Absolutely! By 7th grade, I had my first girlfriend, and by the time I got to high school, I was voted "most likely to receive a Grammy" in the student yearbook.
TEM: Dude that rules!
RPM: Then, in college I was known for throwing some of the best parties on campus. One such crazy-time was broken up by the police, and while all the folks were coming out of my basement, the police-man apologized to me, saying, "wow, this party looks like it was slammin', sorry we broke it up."
TEM: Haha! That must have felt amazing! So what has this all taught you – what is the “truth” about Robert Perlick Molinari?
RPM: I think the answer is pretty simple. The French horn made me cool. Since beginning the instrument, it has been a slow and steady climb up to the top of chic.
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