Posted by Christopher on February 26, 2001 at 12:46:59:
In Reply to: Today's question posted by Carl L on February 24, 2001 at 10:27:58:
A great thread!
I was born into a musical family and always knew a musical career was in the cards for me. So the first big life changing event was being offered a spot in the fourth grade band as a third grader - as long as I played tuba! Still haven't quit.
The other big event didn't happen until 1995. I was living in Pittsburgh, just out of grad school and making a weak, poverty stricken living freelancing. I listened to my roommate's copy of John Coltrane's Meditations, had a big epiphany, took one last orchestral audition and moved to new york (passing briefly through Chicago) to become a jazz musician. That record spoke to me, and one of the things it said was -- you're not making money playing the tuba, so you might as well be playing your own music on your own terms. So far so good: I am still poor (it's a tuba, after all), but playing much more often and it turns out I play a lot better when it's not other people's notes...