My first memories of music are lying awake in my bed at night hearing my father play guitar. He also played flute and saxophone, but it was the guitar that captivated me. My first guitar was an acoustic nylon string from a garage sale. I had to beg and cry to get it, since $20 was a lot back then, but that purchase really set me on my 6-string path. There was a fake Gibson flying V and then an American Strat that I still have to this day. And I am still trying to learn songs I have in my memory from so many years ago.
Of course music in my family didn't start with my dad. His mother was a church organist and choir conductor for decades. Prominent family members include drummer Eddie Marshall and guitar god Tony MacAlpine. My aunt Mary used to teach me blues and jazz classics on her min piano and many of my more distant relatives have blossoming musical careers, hobbies or habits. I hope my children learn to love music as well. I try to expose them without being pushy and we'll see what happens. The genes are there.
I have to point to two fortuitous events that influenced me heavily. My mom would take us to a local United Methodist church and we sang in the choir. The music director Natalie Brooks gave me piano lessons for free and even thought I didn't follow the usual protocol I did benefit. And when I attended Central Washington University to join the wrestling program, I was blessed to be at a school that had a fabulous jazz program, managed by "professor" John Maowad. The opportunity to hear and later play with the incredibly talented musicians "Coach" had gathered broadened my horizons immensely and taught me to seek excellence in my further endeavors. I have so much respect for their skills and dedication and to this day I treasure those experiences.
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