Many of us know Phillip Lazarri from his dedication to the Speech team and his didactic nature as an English teacher, but did you know he’s also a talented musician? Since he was in high school, Lazarri has been entranced by music- playing it, listening to it, everything involved in the process intrigues him. 

After switching schools his junior year, Lazarri found himself with more free time and became more focused on his guitar playing. “I had made some friends that were musicians, and they were like ‘hey let’s jam’, and that really changed everything for me, because I’ve been playing in bands actively since I was 16,” Lazzari recalled.

Currently Lazarri plays in three bands, including a tribute band to the late 80’s, Ween, which is an American rock band that Lazarri said he really admired as a teenager. They call themselves Fluffy, and his group includes a lead vocalist, a guitar/synthesizer player, a drummer, a bass player and himself as lead guitarist. 

“We are pretty confident that once we get the word out there it will sell itself,” Lazarri said, acknowledging the preexisting fanbase for Ween that is the target audience for this music. Fluffy primarily plays covers at parties and events, although this isn’t where Lazarri’s heart lies.

“Most of us have been playing original music in original bands, which is very challenging because audience’s don’t know your songs and you have to make a stronger impression.” 

According to Lazarri, working with and on original music is often a more rewarding experience. “At the end of the day I’m going to feel more satisfied playing with [original] bands,” he said. He commented that his favorite moments in the process are simply jamming out and improvising with the music and with friends.

As Lazzari’s teaching career has taken off and began to fill up much of his time, he continues to utilize music as an outlet to relax and blow off steam. “We’re rehearsing songs, but at the same time it’s just hanging out with friends. For me it’s a great stress reliever and escape.”