Reverb: The Official UTF Blog

Music has been a very central part of my life from an early age. As a small child, my dad played records by artists who were true musicians, singers, and artists. My dad’s record collection consisted mostly of R&B, Soul, and Funk music. I grew up listening to Prince, Luther Vandross, the Gap Band, Earth Wind & Fire, Parliament Funkadelic and yes, the Acid Queen herself: Tina Turner. I loved the sounds flowing through my dad’s speakers and was curious about the different instruments that made those sounds. While curious, I admit that the thought never occurred that I should play one of those instruments.

My dad played electric guitar and tenor/baritone sax when he was younger. Surprisingly, he stopped playing once he married his high school sweetheart (my mother) after graduating high school. Now, my mother never played any instruments but always wanted to take up piano. Unfortunately for me, she decided to live her dreams vicariously through me when I got older. I was “forced” to take up piano lessons after school; I hated them. I had trouble reading sheet music for piano, and I hated the (boring) material my piano teacher had me play. I probably wouldn’t have played or taken lessons as long as I did (for 5 years), but my mother discovered that I had the gift for playing by ear. When I was around age 9 or 10, I played bits of a Prince tune on my paternal great grandmother’s piano, and my mom heard it. From that point forward, she strongly encouraged me to continue taking the lessons. Now, while I hated the lessons, I didn’t entirely hate the piano. I liked playing cool things I heard on the radio on my keyboard at home, but the music my piano teacher had me play was extremely boring and unsatisfying. However, I did find that I liked to perform live. I sometimes played a tune, here or there, at Sunday church services with my god sister; she also took the lessons with me. For someone who was/is shy, it probably sounds odd that I liked playing live, but I got a high off of it and enjoyed the applause. While playing at Sunday church services was exhilarating, I was ready to move on to a more exciting instrument.

In junior high, I signed up for band. My first instrument of choice was alto sax. By then, I had seen Timmy play on Tina’s 85 Private Dancer Tour and wanted to learn to play sax. It was the sounds that I heard coming from his sax – loved the solo in “Tonight” – that made me want to play. When my dad found out that I was taking up alto sax in band, he was pretty pleased. He thought I was following in his footsteps, and I didn’t have the heart to say that it wasn’t so. He definitely approved…which was in stark contrast to my mother. She thought I should take up a more “feminine” instrument like clarinet or the flute. She also told me that “girls don’t play saxophone.” I knew that was rubbish, and I absolutely refused to bend. I was dead set on playing sax, and I stood firm on my grounds, with my dad’s backing. I got my way and learned to play through my band instructor. I was pretty faithful in practicing back then, and I also found it easier to read sheet music for sax over piano; I didn’t have two lines to read anymore. My band instructor had the band play interesting enough music for me to enjoy it and stick with it, but I looked forward to marching band in high school. Once I landed in marching band, I found it demanding but exciting- especially when I became a member of one of the best concert and marching bands in the state of Florida. Memorizing my music and learning complicated drills was tough but rewarding after hearing the applause from the crowd. I loved to perform on the field and even suggested an idea that my band director actually implemented: having the band sing a few lines of Boys II Men’s hit, “End of the Road” during a section of the halftime show. That was pretty cool and one of my most memorable moments in band. It was also one of my last moments. While I enjoyed performing on the field for the crowds, I didn’t like concert band so much, and I had a band director who thought that nothing else mattered besides band. I also didn’t like the growing demands band placed on my time outside of school. That’s why after marching season during my junior year of high school, I quit band and pretty much walked away from the sax after that. I had, unfortunately, soured on playing sax after finding other extra curricular activities that weren’t as demanding. I sold my sax once I started college and never looked back.

Throughout those years, I also made half-hearted attempts to play guitar and drums. I never stuck with either of those instruments long enough to learn them well. I finally realized that I just didn’t have that die-hard musician streak in me. I was a casual player, which was fine with me. I’d also moved on to other artistic interests like writing, which is obviously my calling. There was a time when I thought I might pursue music as a career, but I freely admit that I just don’t have the dedication required to take my talent to another level. While I sometimes still experience urges to pick up an instrument and learn/re-learn, I also give the other side some serious thought. Being a musician isn’t as easy as some people think. I have first-hand experience. While anyone can pick up an instrument, sticking to it, practicing, learning, and feeling pain – a bruised bottom lip with sax, sore fingers with guitar, and sore wrists/legs for drums – while playing for your craft isn’t for everyone.