Hmmmmm ......

Wonder why this reminds me of past times at another part of the SZ forum?

Hmmmmm .....

Cheers
GJ

Can't remember a time when music didn't obsess me...

My first lucid memories are being allowed as a young three year old to operate my grandparents' 78 after I showed them I wouldn't ruin the records or the needle! Old English bigband records, some Ellington, Basie, Paul Whiteman, things like that. Strangely, I come from a family of almost non-existent musical talent, apparently I had a great-great aunt that was a concert pianist, but the rest... nada!

My family had a record player, and upon reflection, a nice enough modest collection of records, but I just don't ever remember them playing them much. It was always me who fired up the LP's. My mother was into Sinatra, my Dad light classical, or easy listening, but my favorite set of records was one of those Ella Fitzgerald singing the Rogers and Hart collections. Nelson Riddle at his finest...

I pleaded and begged my parents for piano lessons from about six, but it wasn't until I was about eleven before I got my wish. One year of strict (and I do mean strict!) classical made me convinced that wasn't what I wanted to do! Then a move to a mobile home for a few months while a new home was being built, no room for a piano, so I got an nice little 48 bass accordion fro Christmas. What an eye opener! All of a sudden, the circle of fifths made SENSE! The relational aspect of chord changes made sense! I started playing by ear, and the chord changes seemed logical. I was soon doing garden parties, sing-alongs, Morris dancing, ceilidhs and folk music and anything I could do (at twelve!).

Then we moved into the new house, got a nice baby grand, and it was time to get a teacher. After my year at the hands of the martinet, I knew I wanted something different, so I talked my parents into lessons from a local cocktail pianist who also had decent classical chops. Best move I EVER made! Comping, reading fake charts, playing by ear, all those things classical pianists have no idea about... this guy taught me it all, and my ear grew by leaps and bounds...

Then at fourteen, something new. I wanted to play a horn (English brass bands are a way of life over there), started on trumpet/cornet, then moved to baritone euphonium after a couple of months, got decent (played in the County Band and with the National Youth Band a few times) and stayed therer a cople of years. Then, I decided to get serious about the horn, and was advised that basically, not a lot of pro euphonium players , and perhaps trombone was a good move. So I moved to that, and started to get REALLY good (played principal t'bone at county, national brass band and local orchestra level) so, to my parents' dismay, decided to pursue it as a career instead of medicine or the law! Yeah, I never said I made GOOD choices!

Went to Music College and got a Bachelors in performance trombone, with a minor in piano, but all strictly classical. England really only had one jazz program back then, most were strictly classical, But, in the end, I feel that was the best thing, as I have met FAR too many jazz college graduates that are absolutely MISERABLE unless they are blowing bebop (not you, Bebop! ) and can't stand regular pop and rock... At least college gave me the technique to play what I wanted, without shoving one form of music down my throat!

Anyway, out of college, looking for work. Like they say, not many trombonists with a beeper! Wanted to go into keyboards but broke, so I got a bass and pl;ayed bass for a year to make enough for my first organ. Played around the Clacton, Frinton, Ipswich area (East coast holiday area in England), and finally had enough to buy my first Hammond. Thenb started playing organ in rock and jazz bands. Did a few stints doing the Butlins type things... great fun! Played Deep Purple and Zeppelin, Faces and rock things like that at night, but did all the cabaret backing gigs too, so a wide range of music to cover. Loads of fun.

After that, moved on to the Mecca circuit, played Sheffield, Northampton, Coventry and finally a decent stint in Nottingham in a ten piece. Three or four nights playing top forty (and in England, top forty was anything from the Sex Pistols to Dolly Parton!) and one night doing all ballroom standards. Nice big rig by then... Hammond, Farfisa, Rhodes, Yamaha electric, Oddesey, Crumar Orchestrator, and a CS60 polysynth. Makes my 45 lbs. G70 look like an S910!

After that, a stint for Cunard playing the Carribean, more top forty and ballroom dancing, another ten piece, and there I was 'discovered' by some New York types. After my contract was over, was invited to go up there and get into the recording scene. Like they say, if you can make it there...

Got into doing some session work, and also worked with a pretty busy arranger, and made aliving either on sessions or I would also copy parts for his arrangements. String charts, horn charts, very occasionally orchestra. Back then, no computers. All session charts were written by hand, in ink That was a great apprenticeship for learning how to arrange. Then, through him, I got into Musical Directing, funk bands, mostly. I was having a lot of fun, but basically treading water economically. But I got to play with quite a few of my heroes, doing sessions on commercials, industrials and the odd album.

But I'm a farm boy at heart, grew up the countryside of Northamptonshire on a small farm, and never REALLY was comfortable in the Big Apple. Used to live on 52nd St. (funny for a Billy Joel fan!) and round the corner from the Brill Building, etc., but knew it was time to get out of the city and go see America, so I got in with a road band and toured a bit. After a year or so, ended up playing down in the Panhandle of Florida back when this was Spring Break Heaven! More pretty girls and great bands than you could shake a stick at, and a nice local community of players that didn't have the big city hustle and backstabbing habits I had seen so much up North...

So I settled down. Did a stint in Mobile and met my wife there, moved back to Ft Walton. Went to Memphis after Hurricane Opal wiped up out. Came back. Went to New Orleans, did about a year on Bourbon Street with a ten piece, loads of fun, but the big city thing again... moved back to Destin. My wife passed away in 2001, and that was no picnic, but music keeps me going...

So here I still am... I play as much as possible. Do quite a bit of local and national session work through a studio that opened here a few years ago, have my own production studio at home, and also do a fair bit of local mastering work and pre-production work. But my love is still playing live. Got to admit, the vast majority of my work doesn't usually involve machines, although for the last seven years or so (up until early 2009) I was doing a reasonable percentage of it as a duo, and used the arranger quite a lot. Last couple of years has been a lot more live band, and I have to admit, it's a LOT more rewarding, musically. I always prefer a musical conversation with a human being rather than a machine!

So, here we are up to date... still playing, still recording, still obsessed by music. Some things never change!

Great Bios Stephen and Diki. I really enjoyed reading your bios as I know many other zone members will too.
Diki you really have gone full circle around the horn so to speak. I was especially interested in what you would write to share with us.
NEXT_____________????????
Bebop

We are still missing Donny DNJ! Why is that??
Bebop


[This message has been edited by BEBOP (edited 05-12-2010).]

Who?...

I’m really not a big fan of detailed info on the Internet but I’ll try to keep this vague as possible just so no one can say I didn’t post anything.
Born in Coney Island New York 1952 into an Italian immigrant family my father who played Trumpet in the Italian Navy in the 1930’s & thru WWII, a prisoner of war by the Germans twice and escaped then made his way to Brooklyn where he met my mother. His musical knowledge was the start of my musical career of which at age 7 he thought it was time for me to play an instrument of the Piano or Accordion….I chose the Accordion to make him happy and play all the great old Italian songs like , Malafemina, Santa Lucia, Lady Of Spain, Granada, o Solo Mio etc..so I started to take lessons at the conservatory of music locally for $12.00 per month once a week. Every night after dinner my dad would sit with me for a half hour practicing scales, songs, theory etc, etc.. I got yelled at, punished, and all due to my stubbornness to learn versus going out and play with my friends. But I persevered and started to like it and get very good at it….at 10 years old I played my Accordion at a backyard family party and someone asked me to play Malafemina, which I did & when I was done he handed me $10.00..WOW!! I thought to myself ten bucks just to play a song I do all the time?..”hey this music stuff could be a good thing”! In the years to follow what I learned playing the Accordion would be the foundation for my love of music and making people happy doing so.
At 12 years old I saw the Beatles perform for the first time on the Ed Sullivan show I sat with my dad so excited & this made me think of trying other instruments, so I bought an old set of drums and self taught myself to be a Rock & Roll drummer, followed by bass guitar, I bought a Hofner in New York City like Paul McCartney’s, and a six string electric also a Rickenbacker…now I had the fever. But my love for keys was my foundation so I bought my first Hammond M100, followed by a B3, and so many others like a Vox Continental, Farfisa Compact Duo, Juno, Crumar, Rhodes, & more.

In my school days I made sure I was in the Band & Orchestra and took Music as a major throughout my time in school, I learned to play Alto Saxophone, Tympani & Percussion instruments, and performed in the All city Big Bands, even doing a concert with them in Carnegie Hall too, many recitals, and Music for Stage plays too.

I played and filled in for many local wedding bands when I was 16 and formed my own wedding band at age 17 taking all the knowledge I learned from the old timers I performed with and made good use out of it, learning the business from the real pros, and paying my dues year after year….After a stint in the US ARMY 1969 when I returned I also formed a few rock/pop bands and played Keyboards in clubs all over the NYC tri state area. I also performed in shows for the big New York AM Radio stations like WMCA Good Guys, WABC who sponsored many of our shows all over with top bands of the time period. Many of the Vocal Doo Wop groups like the Mystics “ #1 song Hushabye” 1959, Drifters, Johnny Maestro, Passions,Motown's Marveletts, and so many other groups that didn’t have a band to back them up so I was offered to be the musical director for many of the big oldie shows to back them up with my group.
I even also did a 6 month stint Sponsored by WCBS FM Radio & Holland America Cruise Lines performing Rock & Roll Doo Wop cruise shows all over the world. After my ex wife passed away which was very sad at a young age,I persevered and while on tour in NYC gigging in a Greenwich Village night club show I met my wife now of 27 years & has been my trusted loving partner and manager to this day.

When Arranger KBs came on the market and 1970's Disco Fever was upon us & Dj’s started to undercut the Bands, I needed to figure a way to keep working to amke a living so the early Arranger KB gave me an idea to do it all myself. Being also a singer I had all the tools to create a solo act that would keep me working and most of all SOUND LIKE MY BIG BAND….in the coming years work for the band dwindled down but my Solo career skyrocketed. As technology increased so did my solo act until present where I still Sing & create that Big Band sound and make people dance every night in many ways musically & put smiles on their faces. I also opened two weekly Social Ballroom dance clubs which are very successful & fill a void out there for dancers. I couldn’t think of anything else I would want to do in my life. I was blessed with music & health, family & friends & I'm very grateful for that. There's much more to tell but for now I hope you enjoyed the read.

Thanks

BTW...Now if anyone sees my father whos almiost 90 yrs old tell him the lessons didn’t go to waste!



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-13-2010).]

I'm really going to post. I'm just making sure you all don't fall asleep.

Joe

Hi folks. I did not know if I could contribute to this thread as it seemed like this thread was for long time professional musicians and when I started reading everyone's bios that just kind of emphasised the point. But I will contribute as a long time frustrated musician!

I was brought up and still am in the church. I used to sing with my family (5 sisters and 1 brother) all over the UK.

My eldest sister became a naval Nurse at 18 and went off to sea. When she got back she brought a guitar with her. I fell in love with creating music from there and the first instrument I took up was the guitar. I also played the flute for about 4 years but the guitar was my main instrument. As I got better I began to write songs from the age of about 12 and performed original material at church and conferences. But I never enjoyed performing, I loved to write and arrange but I am not a natural extrovert. The guitar was great but it was limiting in that it could not create the sound I heard in my head when I composed. . Unfortunately I also had a love of basketball that became my obsession and I played in the Birmingham Bullets junior team (under 17 squad) and in the UK's west midlands and national league. I was a good academic too and so had to make some hard choices about which direction to take my career. I was a talented hungry basketball player but the game wasn't sufficiently mature in the UK in terms of its professional status to make a living playing hoops. And my parents would never have let me give up a university place to pursue my musical ambitions so I ended up a regular person making a living in the day time and following my musical passion in the spare time that I had. Which wasn¡¦t much as I till played basketball on a semi pro basis.

Anyway, whizzing forward , I blew out both knees playing basketball (who doesn¡¦t ha ha ) I got married to my child hood sweetheart at 24, started a business providing financial consultancy and coaching, had a gorgeous daughter at 30 and unfortunately got divorced at 32, sold my business. I became the Chairman of a charity for separated/divorced parents http://www.sharedparenting.org.uk/ which involves assisting warring families to mediate and where necessary prepare court papers draft statements and attend court which I still run and work in the evenings. For my day job, I investigate complaints made against solicitors. Both roles keep me extremely busy!

I started playing keyboard again when I divorced and rediscovered my love for music!! At 35 I decided to take my music more seriously and started having jazz piano lessons with an old client. Never had any lessons before and could not sight read. 2 years later I passed my Jazz grade 5 music exams! I am 41 now and have been the children's choir keyboard player at my church for the last 4 years. The choir has over 40 young uns including my daughter and all my nieces and nephews. I have to tell you God is really good and the kids are doing really well. The church has membership of over 500 and I keep myself busy musically with other projects.

Music is my passion and I live with the deep regret that I did not follow my calling all those years ago when I first fell in love with music. Diki is right, that the love of music is a calling as many of you can and have testified. You are truly blessed to do this and get paid!!

Still, I am progressing as a musician and working with other like minded people and loving the time I have with the incredible PA1X.

Thanks for reading. I know that there are lots of frustrated musicians like me who turned left in their life when they should have turned right :-)


[This message has been edited by Spalding 4 (edited 05-13-2010).]

My bio is extremely diverse, I've done things many folks only dream of doing, and music has been with me since age 5 when my father brought an old, out of tune, upright piano home. Like any 5-year-old, I was curious and had to plink on the keys. I heard Tennessee Waltz on the radio one day, sat down at the piano and played the song. The next day my mother sent me to a neighbor's home for piano lessons. After six months the teacher told my mother to save her money--the boy will be a piano player because he cannot comprehend the musical notation.

I plinked on that old piano until age 12 when I picked up a guitar. For me, the guitar was a natural and I learned to play several songs the first week. Country music is easy when you only have to learn three or four chords and be able to sing.

My first paying job was at age 17. I was a skinny kid (145 pounds) and in the employ of Uncle Sam's Navy. There were four of us in a rock band, three guitars and drums. We played throughout the Mediterranean area, mainly for free booze, and of course the ladies. Four years later reality struck. I was out of the Navy and had to find a real job.

I went to work for NASA as a sub contractor for a field engineering firm located in the Baltimore area. After four years of sailing around the world, two days after going to work they put me on a plane and sent my skinny butt to set up radar and satellite communication systems throughout the world. The job didn't last long, but I sure got to see and do some neat things while I was there. Russia sent up Sputnik and the U.S. sent up Mercury--the race was on.

When I got back to the states music was still not in the picture--at least not for a full time living. I had a few jobs playing guitar and singing country music in bars on weekends. The pay was lousy, you had to put up with drunks and dense cigarette smoke, but I enjoyed every minute.

Then it happened--I met my wife of nearly a half-century. The first four years were spend moving around the country while I worked for the aerospace industry. We were both tired of moving to a new location every few months. When I had an opportunity to switch fields I jumped at the chance.

The next 15 years were spend working in cardio-pulmonary medicine, a job that often entailed long hours in the operating room, very little sleep and no family life at all. I still picked guitar in the bars once in a while, but one a month was about all the time I had to spare. I finally burned out, was down to 130 pounds and looked like death warmed over. One day I walked into the hospital at 6 a.m., my usual time, and discovered the 5-year-old we performed surgery on the day before had passed away during the night. That was the end of my medical career. I said goodbye to my boss, walked out the door and never looked back.

Lots of other neat jobs during the ensuing year, and when the first arranger keyboard came to the local music store I bought it. I was blown away by the 15 styles and 10 instruments. Within a few weeks I figured out the operating system, contacted some other friends who I jammed with once and a while and formed a 5-piece country band. We played a lot, had a ball, never made enough money to make expenses and we all had day jobs.

I wanted to play more and work less, but at the time I was self-employed, owned a fishing tackle store and had two young children. The economy went to Hell, the store went out of business and I became a full-time outdoor writer. I was one of the few that actually made a good living writing about their favorite pastime--fishing, boating and other outdoor activities. This also gave me more time for music.

Like most folks, I've had some jobs that didn't last very long, but I was never fired from a job. I worked for the Maryland State Police, a major sound and communications company, owned a gas station and taught cardio-pulmonary technology in a community college.

Fast forward a couple decades or so, I'm still playing keyboards and singing, writing less, and still enjoying everything I do. I'll be 70 this Fall, the kids are grown and married, I'm a grandpop, and as stated on another thread, I have the greatest job in the world--I'm an OMB entertainer.

I'm going sailing--it's a nice day to be on Chesapeake Bay.

Gary

I started playing piano aged 8 years old and then because I was growing up in the 60s taught myself to play guitar. I played in a number of rock cover bands starting at age 14. I played for a number of years with a very talented singer songwriter called "Guy McDonough" and arranged and played his songs that later became big hits for a band called Australian Crawl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nap-gw171dw

After my buddy Guy died in 1984 I helped his brother record some post humous tracks for an EMI album. One song I helped complete had the assistance of Colin Haye from "Men At Work" who sang harmony plus the first verse that we were missing. That Men At Work vocal sound is very easy to pick Too Many People

After that I went through my punk/New Wave period playing 7+ gigs a week with a band called "The Name" opening for acts like INXS and The Divinyls http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum35/HTML/001385.html

After 3 years of playing 7 days a week I became burned out and moved on with my career in video games that relocated me to Los Angeles. Although I didn't play live for a while I did do some recording with a close friend Chris Wood who played guitar Cantus Firmus.mp3

After having a break from playing live for over 10 years I returned to playing again with a local classic rock cover band around Los Angeles and Ventura Counties ( http://www.redrhythm.com ) and still play with them 10 years later. Occasionally we play Las Vegas for corporate gigs there ( MGM Grand, Paris, The Bellagio and Caesar's Palace ).

Oh yeah did I mention that in the mid 90s I started a website for electronic keyboards called http://synthzone.com ... maybe you have come across it at sometime.



[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 05-13-2010).]