Kiley Wellendorf | News Co-Editor

Dr. David Klee, associated professor of instrumental music and director of jazz studies/music production & technology at Buena Vista University (BVU), has recently published a book on his experience with bullying growing up. “Finding The Boy Inside” begins with explaining how being born premature, not only affected Klee’s family, but also changed his life growing up.

“I was very sickly and very small because I was premature, and when you’re small, different, green, yellow, black, or white – people pick on you,” Klee said.

Klee’s book recounts his experience of growing up in North Tampa and how his size became a focal point to the horrific mistreatment he experienced from “hoods.” Hoods, according to Klee’s book, were boys who were bigger and older than usual for their grade in school. These individuals would sell his items at school, use him as a human punching bag, and also torment him any chance they had. Not only did Klee’s frail size receive attention from students but teachers began to question his parents and how well they were taking care of him.

A passage in Klee’s book details the confusion and frustration he felt at an early age:

By the time I was in fifth grade, I would not talk to anyone at school unless I was absolutely forced to. I was too afraid of being told that I was deformed, weak, and/or stupid. On more than a few occasions the teachers questioned my mother about whether I was mentally fit to be in school (16).

Although the bullying continued to eat away at him growing up, Klee was able to find passion and an escape route through both music and God.

“By the time I graduated from high school, I found that I had a lot to offer musically. God was being good to me, and I started finding that this was His of helping me move forward. Music was going to be my vehicle for moving forward in my life, and boy what a ride,” Klee said.

For Klee, some of the hardest parts of writing this book was going back and reliving a past that continued to haunt him for years. While writing about old memories felt difficult, Klee was able to find peace once he realized how much he had moved forward and the “hoods” had not.

“By writing this book I’d like to let them know that no, you don’t get over it, but you move forward with it – you never get over it,” Klee said.

Klee did move on – he dipped his toes in the music industry, became a professor, and currently plays the flute professionally – despite the horrific treatment he received when he first played the instrument as a young boy.

As for the outcome of his book, Klee hopes to have this become part of his legacy to his family and also provide a sense of security and hope to those who have also been through this emotionally roller-coaster before.

“If I can be an inspiration to help somebody else either to recover from it or hopefully avoid going through it,” Klee said.

Photo courtesy of Justice Gage