By Taylor Conley

Many Tempe Prep teachers have delirious pasts. In the ‘80s and early ‘90s, Ms. Kuntzelman was in a few bands. It wasn’t until 1984 when she decided to make her own. She started as a heavy metal and punk rock band in Flagstaff right out of grad school at UT Austin.

At the time, Ms. Kuntzelman had been managing a local record store and was self-taught in guitar. She wished to start a band, so she sent out flyers, and eventually got a group together. She chose the stage name “Ms. Ann Thrope,” and the band was called the ‘B.T.’s’, which they chose different meanings for over time.

In the B.T.’s, Ms. Kuntzelman was the rhythm guitarist and the lead singer/songwriter. She recalls that she was mainly influenced by singers such as David Bowie, Lou Reed, and Iggy Pop.

The B.T.’s played every weekend at local clubs and occasionally opened for touring bands. Furthermore, they practiced every night in the back room of a record store and wrote and played many songs, including ones called “Better Off Without You” and “I’m Scared.” The B.T.’s did not get paid much; the drummer started off playing on metal trash cans. Ms. Kuntzelman nostalgically remembers the band “thrashing” and “just playing, being together, creating the music.”

In the band, there was Ms. Kuntzelman (known as Ms. Ann Thrope), three college students, and one guy working in Flagstaff. One of the college students moved to the Valley and works at a tech company. Most recently, Ms. Kuntzelman has seen one of her old band members at a concert a couple years ago. Unfortunately, with the rest, they haven’t really been in touch.

Ms. Kuntzelman remarks, “Hopefully, punk is making a comeback.” To this day, she still enjoys listening to punk rock music, a reminiscence of her musical past.