Post by
DeXteR »
https://forums.nicoclub.com/dexter-u32945.html
Fri Nov 02, 2007 12:00 pm
gosh, seems like a lot of guitars and drums and piano lessons...
instruments:i started in 5th grade with the trombone. played through middle school and half-way through high school. along the way i picked up tuba, baritone, and trumpet. i can make noise and stumble my way through scales on pretty much any wind instrument - clarinet, flute, sax, etc.
anyways, my high school lost the band program due to lack of experienced/qualified teacher/director. i occasionally would play in a brass ensemble at church.
when i went to college i tried the pep band for about 3 weeks and hated it. i haven't really played my trombone much since then. i play the tuba every week at church now.
singing:i started singing in junior high choir in 6th grade. being a "mature" young man, i sang "bass" ... yeah... anyways, as i got into high school, my voice got deeper, but my upper range grew way more. so i started singing tenor. i joined my church choir about the same time i went into high school. the choir directors told me i should take some voice lessons, so i did for about a year until i realized it was a waste of time and money. i sang lead tenor all through high school with the choir and in special groups.
my junior year i went to a "youth outreach program" with the saginaw choral society - a volunteer, auditioned community choir with ~100 members. they're all really great singers. after the concert, i was asked to sing in the last concert of the season and then asked to audition for the following year. which i did and i sang the full season my senior year.
so then i went to college. i had no clue about anything musical. i found out about the university singers - the elite choral group of ohio northern university. of course, you had to audition. after the audition, they tell you that you'll be on tour during fall and spring break... uh, thanks, but no thanks. so i joined the men's chorus instead.
winter quarter of my freshman year i got a phone call from the director of the university singers (also directed men's chorus) and he practically begged me to join singers because they lost a few tenors. [i don't say this to pat myself on the back or anything, i just thought it was funny] so i agreed and went to florida on tour for spring break. the singing was great - probably the most fun i've ever had singing however, the people... well, just imagine the people who would be in "an elite singing group" at a university... most of the guys were limp-wristed (if you catch my drift), and even more of the girls were drama queens - i couldn't handle it.
so i just sang with the men's chorus for four years at college. my freshman year was the first year it was started. it was tons of fun. we had a great group of voices and the concerts were always phenomenal. we got so big and so good that we started touring my junior year.
when i was done with college i went back to church choir and the saginaw choral society. i only sang in one concert and then decided i didn't have the time to commit to that sort of thing. so for now, i just sing at church in the choir, a quartet, and other special music.
others:my high school bought a few octaves of hand chimes my junior year so i played in the chime choir and ensemble the last two years in high school. those things are a lot of fun and i've been trying to get my church choir director (who also happens to be my father-in-law) to put a chime choir together at church. hopefully that'll happen in the next couple years.
lastly, i've ALWAYS loved playing drums - ever since i was a little kid. when i first got into band at school, i wanted to play drums. i ended up playing the trombone instead - which, in hind-sight, worked out a lot better. But any chance i get, i'll beat the drums. i did play the timpanis (sp) in high school a couple times, but that's the extent of any sort of performance.
i recently "inhereted" a beat up set of drums from my younger brother. they need a full set of skins and a set of cybals. right now they're just sitting in my shop. hopefully i'll be able to get them reskinned and pick up some brass for them so i can get on them. it'll just be for liesure unless someone i know wants to start a rock band or something...
wow, so that's my musical life story. hopefully it wasn't too boring. as you can see, i love music. i think it's a great stress reliever and a great escape from the burdens of life. if i wasn't so in to cars, i'd probably be a little more into music. cars are my first passion. music is another way i keep sane.