East Coast Kahuna

Music lessons

Although I am a techie, music has been a big part of my life.

I was fortunate to be at an elementary school which was just starting band instrument instruction - this was back in 1965 when I was in 6th grade in Pearl City, Hawaii. There was a new program where a travelling music teacher came to the school twice per week - he carried a set of trumpets and clarinets for our use - we only had to purchase our mouthpieces. I wanted to play clarinet (maybe because my brother had been learning trumpet in Intermediate school) - but since I was wearing braces on my top teeth, the teacher recommended that I play trumpet.

One of my father's close friends owned a piano store (so of course we had a piano at home) - he had connections so that I was able to get my own trumpet. Because I had my own instrument, I was invited to join a larger group consisting mainly of students of the larger elementary school in town. So my journey in music began.

I played in Advanced Band as a 7th grader in Intermediate School. When I moved to Iolani for 8th grade, I could go directly in the Intermediate Band, then Concert Band as a 9th grader. Iolani had what I thought to be the best music program in the state (better than Punahou!) - it even had an orchestra, unusual for Hawaii, but since I was already in the band I did not take up a stringed instrument.

With the band, I went on my only trip to the island of Maui. I also had a chance at international travel - to Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan, and in my senior year a trip to Fiji, Australia (Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne), and New Zealand (Christchurch, Wellington, Rotorua and Auckland). I was also playing with the stage band. At age 17 that definitely was the high point of my life. I did all of this travel even before getting to the mainland US.

I was at a peak in my playing ability - once I got to MIT I had the courage to audition for the 2nd MIT Jazz Band. Unfortunately, I was third for 2 openings. Both of the trumpet players who qualified ahead of me decided to join, so I was out. I think my life would have been quite a bit different with music playing a larger role, had I gotten into the jazz band.

I ended up joining the MIT Concert Band (anyone interested could join without audition), but they rehearsed one night a week and it was hard to get a lot of practice in with a busy schedule. Even though I stayed with the band for three years, my skills gradually declined. After a while I stopped playing entirely, but still kept my trumpet.

Move ahead about 10 years. I'm in working in Tarrytown, NY at the R&D center for General Food, a large food manufacturing company. One of the fat chemists is a saxaphone player and the manager for the Pleasantville Fire Department Band. They need musicians, so I dust off my trumpet and get back in shape. The quality of playing was highly variable, and I was good enough to play - although it took me a while to start getting my lip endurance back. In addition to the weekly rehearsals playing concert band music - we also marched at parades with the rest of the fire department and I was in the Dance band, a smaller ensemble that played for retirement homes (mainly big band and popular music). At this time a had a chance to purchase a good used trumpet, a Bach Stradavarius, when we were down in Princeton, NJ on a visit with my in-laws. I left the fire department band when we moved to Ithaca (I went back to school to work on a PhD), and again, my playing went on hiatus for a longer number of years.

Now in Ithaca, we are very fortunate to have quality music education in the public schools. In elementary schools, they can start playing string instruments in third grade. My son played cello briefly, but it never caught on with him. My daughter started playing violin and then later oboe in addition, being in both the band and orchestra groups (eventually she has to make a choice and is currently just playing oboe in the middle school band). But in the meantime I'm getting interested in playing again and looking for an opportunity to play.

I eventually found my way into the Ithaca Community Orchestra as of this winter, 2006. Although the repertoire is classical, it's still fun to play. And I've been inspired enough to try to keep practicing on a regular basis. It took a lot of work to get my lip back into shape (I still don't think it's as good as my peak at the end of high school). I also have picked up a clarinet to learn to play something different (I'm not a very good woodwind player!). I got some amazing deals on Ebay and pick up a decent flugelhorn and french horn (both used Yamaha instruments, but in good shape, quite sufficient for my playing). Flugelhorn is very close to the trumpet so it's easy to play. French horn is different - but I'm doing well, well enough to consider taking some formal lessons. Although I've been playing trumpet all these years, I always liked the French horn.

posted by tjh14850 @ 10:36 PM