Learning an Instrument

I'm not really sure I had a choice when it came to learning an instrument or not, I don't think so. My Mom and Dad met through band at Purdue University, so I know music is important to them. The University of New Mexico had the UNM Music Prep School on Saturdays. When I was little, classes were open to 2 year olds. Guess how old I was when I started going? Yep, 2. Purdue played in the NCAA Basketball Tournament at UNM when I was 2 too. I got to see the band kids because my Mom was friends with the director. Boy, did those sousaphone players look like they were having fun! Homecoming at Purdue. My Mom marched in the Alumni Band. ALL of those sousaphones looked like they were really, really having fun! I wanted to play tuba!

UNM Music Prep School had group piano lessons as I got older. I learned to read music, both treble clef and bass clef pretty well. Learning to read music is like learning a foreign language, one that I am as comfortable with as I am with the English language.

Finally, I could start band in 4^th grade in an after school program at my elementary school. I was too little to play a tuba yet, so I got to do the next best thing, play the baby version, a baritone. I was lucky because 2 of my aunts played baritone, and we could borrow one for me to use. We had band twice a week, and the man who taught us would have us come to his home once a month for private lessons. Buzzing a mouthpiece, and trying to figure out what pitch the note was took time and practice. At least we played songs that I was familiar with, so I had an idea of what it should sound like. With the brass instruments, just making sure I have the right fingerings does not mean that I am playing the right note. At the end of the year, he moved. In 5^th grade we had a lady. I learned to play a little better that year, but she did not do the private lessons, so everything was done in a group setting.

Sixth grade found me at Madison Middle School with Mrs. VanDyke as my band director for the next three years. In sixth grade I was in Intermediate Band. I finally was big enough to switch from baritone to a tuba. Tubas come in different sizes, so it was much smaller than I play now, but it was a tuba. We had practice logs, so now I had to practice my tuba to get a good grade. And surprise, I got better because I was practicing. In Albuquerque, we have a wonderful program called Albuquerque Youth Symphony. It has programs for middle school and high school students. I auditioned in the spring. I made Albuquerque Junior Orchestra. Mrs. Van Dyke told my mom she would put me in Symphonic Band, the top band in middle school if she would have me take private lessons. So I started taking lessons from Mrs. Akeley the summer after 6^th grade.

Not everything I learned about playing my tuba directly affected how well I played my tuba. I learned how to hold my tuba with a broken arm from Mr. Snowden in January the day after I got my cast on, and I thought I wouldn't be able to play for weeks when I was in 7^th grade. He did more for me than just teach the low brass sectionals for AJO. In 8^th grade, I made Albuquerque Junior Symphony. The best part of AJO and AJS were the friends I made from many different middle schools throughout the Albuquerque area. This proved very beneficial for me because the middle school I went to only sent about 20% of the student body to the high school I would go to. So these people I met through AJO and AJS were many of the same people I became friends with at LaCueva.

Mrs. Akeley has students throughout the city too. I made many friends from her students. She was my tuba teacher from 6^th grade until I left for TCU. She makes her students work hard, but she is very good, and she puts more low brass students in All-State than any other private teacher in the state. She is really a trombone player and has a Trombone Choir that her students can be part of. I learned how to play trombone so I could do trombone choir and be in jazz band in high school. I don't know which is harder to play, trombone or tuba? I know it took me a while to feel comfortable playing the trombone, but I know that I have high standards, and I knew I had not played or taken lessons on trombone as long as many of my fellow students.

High school band was so different from middle school. There were so many more opportunities, marching band, concert band, jazz band, and basketball band. All but jazz band were mandatory at our school. Mr. Jordan was my high school band director for my first three years. Unfortunately, he retired and his assistant, Mr. Converse was promoted for my senior year. Mr. J, as he was fondly known wanted us exposed to many types of music. Music, mainly classical or jazz was always playing over the sound system in the band room. While he was there, we had three concert bands, Wind Ensemble, the top performing group, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band, which all Freshmen had to be in and any sophomore who didn't play well enough to get into Wind Ensemble or Symphonic Band. My freshman year found more of us in Wind Ensemble than ever before, with several of us, me included sitting 1^st chair. Mr. J challenged us with difficult music, pushing us to be the best we could be. Most bands play 3 pieces for concerts and competitions, we did too, but we played many more pieces that we never performed so that we kept fresh, and were not bored with our repertoire. We worked hard because he expected a lot and we wanted to be the best. The same with jazz band. We practiced dozens of different charts before selecting the ones for concerts or competitions.

Mr. J. and Mrs. Akeley made me the musician I am today. With their teaching, support, and guidance, in the spring of my junior year, I auditioned for the U. S. Army All-American Marching Band, a marching band made up of 125 of the best high school musicians in the United States. It's a one time opportunity as you must be a junior to audition and a senior for the bowl game. I am one of only 3 students from my high school to ever be selected. It was such an honor, and one I worked very hard for. The audition required a solo played on your marching instrument, which meant instead of playing the piece on a 4 valve concert tuba, I needed to play the solo on the 3 valve sousaphone. There was another piece that everyone had to play from memory and march 2 boxes at 170 beats per minute which had me marching forward, to the left, backwards, and to the right. The neighboring high school has a marching field that is well marked. I would go over there for hours, marching and playing the same song, over and over and over again. Another was a video of why I should be selected. Other considerations were grade point average, community service, and demonstrated leadership within my school. I was on pins and needles waiting for the selection email. It was a wonderful experience, one I will never forget, and one that has served me well. As I was visiting colleges, it was something that told band directors a lot about me, even though I'm from a state not well known or respected for its music programs.

Learning to play the tuba and trombone has provided me with many opportunities in life as well as the skill to be a good musician. I continue to practice and play here at TCU. It's my respite from my studying.