I played the clarinet...

Growing up in a musical family I understood early on that I would have a chance to choose an instrument at some point. In the 4th grade there was a string program at school. The violin player that demonstrated the instruments was very particular about who he would allow in his program. After chatting with me for a moment and performing a rather detailed inspection of my hands he agreed to allow me to play. Violin was not at all my first choice but I knew I would have support at home, so I took the violin home with me the next week. I still don't remember what the arrangement was (did we rent the violin etc) but for the rest of that year I plunked around on the violin and completed a very short recital in the string class.

 The next year band instruments were available and in the same fashion a group of music teachers demonstrated the much wider variety of choices.  I was taken with the trombone and the teacher demonstrating the instrument was impressed with my long arms (I was already able to reach 6th position).  But this time when I came home my mom had a negotiation with me. She used the excuse that a trombone dents easily and convinced me to try the clarinet.  I was open to anything but the flute so this was OK with me.  In a couple of weeks band classes started. I had been noodling around and was able to get a tone out of the "Vito" clarinet that my mom brought home. Our director was Miss Buchanan, a very direct, strict teacher who did not put up with any tomfoolery. The classes were twice a week. One hour with just the 5th grade "beginners" and one hour with a combined 5th and 6th grade band. Seems like we had a winter and spring concert. My mom or dad always attended and I found out I liked performing.   After two years Miss Buchanan only had one exhortation for me: "Dave, you just play too loud".  

The summer between 6th grade and junior high the family made a move and I would be attending a brand new school. At this point I was living with my mom and stepfather. He was a clarinet/sax player (a-ha!) and encouraged me to continue with the clarinet. With two years of hearing a few jeers about being in the woodwind section (with the girls) I wanted to switch to trumpet. The jeers could only intensify in junior high. There was a cornet in the house and I grabbed it and started tooting best I could. My stepfather confronted me one day and said that I had invested too much in the clarinet to switch at that point. Relenting, I entered Clinton Weber's 7th grade band class and sat first chair clarinet for the year.  But as luck would have it he was looking for a tenor sax player for a piece we were performing for the first concert.  The sax was cool so I snuck my stepfathers tenor sax out of the house and played tenor for a quarter at school.  But to my surprise my stepfather was the one who came to the concert.  He did a bee-line to me after the concert and asked what I was doing playing sax.  I explained that the teacher asked someone to play tenor and I just volunteered.  He once again reiterated that playing clarinet now would pay dividends later on with the sax. In 8th and 9th grade band I sat second chair clarinet behind Debbie Morton.

But in the first week of high school Bill Stevenson asked me to to play tenor sax in stage band. As a sophomore this was quite a nice offer and I could not have been happier.  So I played tenor sax first period and clarinet in 3rd period concert band. Lots of music, a couple of band tours, a couple of "Music Marathon" fundraisers but when my senior year came around I realized how short I was on science and math credentials.  Chem Study was first period, so I gave up playing that year for chemistry credits. 

But a funny thing started happening. I started having dreams about playing the trumpet and playing it well. I played clarinet and sax my first year of college, but again found myself falling behind on credits for my business major. So I gave it up at school for good in my sophomore year of college.

Clark College graduation 1979

Years later the music pastor at church wanted instruments for worship songs. It took some fast talking because I had not played in years but he finally convinced me to drag my sax to church and play.  This was when musicianship kicked in because I had no music written for the sax, just a director that wanted that sound with the worship songs. So I noodled around and played a solo here or there. And actually wound up playing for 20 years or so at least once a week, sometimes singing in choir, playing sax for worship team and singing in the mens ensemble all in the same week. 

 So why would I still be dreaming about playing the trumpet?  (and by the way I am a marathon dreamer; dream every night and remember every dream)  Anyway this seems to be a sign that I should fulfill the desires of some sort of alternate universe in which I am a brass player.  As luck would have it I found a cornet in my brother in laws barn (another story) and had it cleaned and got it playable. Then I sold it and bought a Silver King Trumpet on ebay.  I have been tooting away on the Silver King for a few months and finally sat down and did a few recordings. So 40 years later I am that junior high trumpet player ...the link is "Where Is Love" from "Oliver". I kept the cut with the clinker at the beginning because I thought it was going to be easy.. but I do have a new respect for brass players.

http://youtu.be/RVEpgPeZmDo