Unless you have been living under a rock, you know what a “Parrot Head” is: a devoted fan of the late singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, known for his tropical-themed music and associated lifestyle. I knew that Jimmy had a huge fan base, but I was astounded to learn that these folks have conventions where members of Parrot Heads in Paradise, which has around 200 sanctioned clubs with 20,000 members, meet every year in late October and have been doing so for 33 years!

Even though he usually leaves his instruments at home, Mr. Proctor's students know he's crazy about music. A big clue is that one of their classroom's walls is filled with artfully arranged posters of rock bands like R.E.M. and Wilco alongside blues greats like Muddy Waters and Little Milton.