How life in the Mountain Communities shaped two Frazier Mountain H.S. Class of 2008 graduates

The year 2008 was the last time a major recession rolled across our country. In that year, Frazier Mountain High School graduates suddenly had to change plans. In December 2011, The Mountain Enterprise brought you a story about a young musical group called Banned From Here. They were all Frazier Mountain High School Class of 2008 graduates, playing everything from ska, blues, rock n’ reggae, to their own originals. Their goal? To lift your soul and move you off your seat onto the dance floor. Now the FMHS Class of 2020 graduation season is here.

• This month we are reporting how the mountain is pulling together to honor our 2020 graduates. We invited two 2008 graduates to share words of wisdom about how growing up in the Frazier Mountain Communities served as a foundation in their lives.

• We wondered about Banned From Here, so we asked their manager, Shanna Llewellyn, for an update. Oz LaBrae and Angelo Caprio wanted to tell, in their own words, how their futures were shaped by “Growing Up Mountain.”

• Last week we heard from Oz LaBrae. This week, we hear from Angelo Caprio.

Angelo Caprio

What was it like to grow up in Lebec? All I can say is that it was the best thing that ever happened to me—and the worst thing. You see, my parents had no TV and no internet.

This was good because I learned how to play music.

I didn’t put any time into my school work, which always ended up with me being …(please see below to view full stories and photographs)

Photo captions:

Jumping the Sun was sent by Angelo Caprio while on his walkabout across the Pacific Crest Trail. The image makes us think of the many difficult crossings we all are facing at this time of coronavirus. See Caprio’s story on page 2.

Banned From Here featured (left) Justin Bahn on bass (shown here at The Ultimate Concert in July 2011 at the Frazier Mountain Park skatepark; Ozzie LaBrae on drums, now a professional musician in Seattle; and (right) Angelo Caprio, shredding on guitar. They played throughout the region, including Santa Clarita.

Left: A Pacific Crest Trail mile marker; Above, Caprio walked hundreds of miles on his PCT Walkabout, then he joined the band KingZero in Santa Barbara (in green shirt, front); Right: Music was with him every step of his long exploration.

Caprio used duct tape on his blisters (left) while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. He was often cold, hungry and in pain, but not immune to the glorious moments (above) of the dawn and dusk of each new day of adventure. Today, at 30, Caprio (right) still has his focus on the horizon, eager for the next opportunity to pursue his creative gifts.

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This is part of the May 22, 2020 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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