My Music Career Begins

My music career began when I was in the eighth grade. Actually, it started the year before. Our grade school (there was no middle or junior high back then; just grade school and high school) was starting a music program the next school year, so the principal had an evening assembly for interested students and their parents. So Mom and Pop and I went. My brother, who was three years behind me, was too young, but I am sure he went as well.

After we listened for a while about the program, which to be honest I don’t remember a thing, I do remember what happened next. When we were asked what we wanted to play, two of my three closest friends, Bob and Fred, and I all said we wanted to play the saxophone. Then the music teacher had us get in line, and one by one, she inspected our mouths! She was looking at how our jaws closed to see if there would be any problems with blowing the reed on the sax. Both my friends passed, but I didn’t. I can’t remember what the problem was, I just remember being crestfallen about not being able to play the sax. I don’t know if I was offered any other instrument or not, but I do know that the teacher did offer me the opportunity to play the drums. I jumped at the chance.

What sealed the deal was that the drumsticks cost one dollar, and the drum pad just a few dollars. Pop said after looking at the pad, “I can make one better than that”. And he did. And so my music career began then next year. By the way, another close friend, another Bob, was going to play the drums as well.

The funny thing is that I do not remember anything about playing music or drums or anything during eighth grade the next year. But I must have because when I got to high school, I was in the Beginning Band. And I knew how to play the snare drum. And all of my friends who played sax, and Bob on the snare drum, and Terry, another friend, on trumpet, were all there as well.

I say I don’t remember playing, but that is not exactly the truth. I do remember playing at home. I started out with a set of 2B drumsticks, a music book for drums, and a homemade drum pad. Pop made it first just like the store bought ones with a thin piece of about 4” square rubber simulating the drumhead on an angular wooden base just like a real drum would be angled. Later, the rubber was replaced with linoleum. It sounded snappier.

The story will continue…    

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