Being a Classical Musician

This is mostly a way for me to get my thoughts down and reflect about the time when my life was literally only about classical music. Well to start, I grew up with opera and classical music because my Dad is a classically trained tenor (formally with Opera Colorado). I never didn't like it, but I didn't really appreciate it until I got maybe around 9th or 10th grade. By 11th grade I was pretty inspired by it, along with funk/disco music (yes, I had a disco phase. I still love it, and the funk is for life!). Anyways, hearing the classics before knowing what they were, like The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet (Tchaikovsky's, although Prokofiev's is brilliant), Beethoven's 5th, and of course lots of Italian opera, I loved the sound and could tell it was something more than what you hear on the radio. I had played around the on piano as a kid, but never got serious about it. One of my best friends, Sam Pfohl, and I discovered the Red Hot Chili Peppers in middle school, and of course shortly thereafter bought an electric guitar and bass. So, we spent lots of time jamming in his garage, playing improvised funk and Chili Peppers songs, and eventually had two pretty fun talent show performances in high school. We even played at a Greek sandwich shop and got free lunch once! The owners also asked us if we could play anything people would recognize...

During high school I played with the jazz bands and some of the wind ensembles. I'm not really sure why, but the idea of picking up the classical bass hadn't hit me yet. That didn't happen until I met Ali, the only girl I've ever loved. I still love her, or at least the memory of her. She was a huge inspiration to me because she was a serious French horn player. She got me thinking, 'I should play classical music, too. I mean, it's real music.' Ali was very dedicated: She took lessons, played with youth orchestras, practiced a couple hours per day, and she was passionate about it. This girl still inspires me today because of her love and desire to help people, understand new cultures, learn languages, and her determination to reach her goals despite any obstacles that might be in her way.

Once it was time to choose a major for college, I just figured music would be fun. I applied to Colorado State University because my two best friends, Sam and Kevin, were going there, and my Aunt Karen said it was cool. I didn't really care to research colleges during my senior year, plus, and more importantly, I knew I wasn't good enough to just pick up a bass and audition at music programs. I was very lucky that CSU had a "Pre-Music" program that put students on the path to become music majors, and even luckier that the new bass professor, Forest Greenough, was willing to start me on classical bass lessons. If it weren't for him, I may not have gone very far with classical music. CSU had its ups and downs for me. I loved the orchestra, loved bass lessons, hated being away from Ali, and didn't really like Ft. Collins. I knew CU Boulder had a more respected music program, so I went and auditioned to transfer after only playing for four months. Amazingly, I got in.

Paul Erhard, my teacher for my three years at CU, is an absolutely brilliant bassist, musician, and person. He's very New York (grew up there, went to Eastman and Juilliard), old school in some ways, and "new school" in more ways. I could say a lot about Paul, but to keep it brief I'll just say that I love him, he's one of my mentors, and my life would be less without him. Check out his Indian music trio, Atmic Vision, online if you can. My time at CU was pretty incredible. I made great, lifelong friends, played in countless concerts, recitals, outside gigs, and practiced many, many hours in a tiny, square room. One of the best experiences of my life was during my senior year when I played principal bass on Puccini's La bohème with CU Opera. It was life-changing. It made me so happy and it still makes me happy just thinking about it. Another highlight was playing Jean Sibelius' Symphony No. 1 in e minor. My senior year I also was awarded the scholarship for most outstanding bass major, and I played my last recital with a program of all Italian music. Other good times at CU include: getting food with my bro, James Foster; playing in the summer opera; driving back to the music building at night (and weekends) to practice more; hanging out in "The Lounge" in the music building; taking all of the World Music classes the College of Music offered; playing in the Black Pioneers of Music orchestra (opera arias); playing MahlerFest twice; being the bass soloist on Darius Milaud's La Creation du Monde; and finally being around great people all the time for three years. Of course, I can't help but remember lots of drama (mostly good) with girls.

As I neared graduation I planned on taking at least a semester off before continuing on to graduate school to earn a Master of Music degree. I wanted to practice in a low-stress environment and let some of the progress I made sink in and solidify. But a couple opportunities came up that I couldn't turn down. Paul encouraged me to audition for a summer orchestra festival in Maine, and my fellow bassist, Ben, convinced me to apply to the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. I got into both, with a 90% scholarship for CCM. So, I was home with my Mom for a few weeks and then hit the road with just my bass and clothes to Maine. It was a long drive (over four days), but it was a great experience. I can't say enough about my time in Maine, the people I met there, or the music I was lucky enough to play there (over 70 pieces of incredible literature!). Some highlights include: Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F Major 'Pastoral,' Sibelius' Symphony No. 2 in D Major, and selections from Johann Sebastian Bach's Overture No. 2 in b minor arranged for just flute and bass with the lovely Pénélope Turgeon (she is amazing in every way). What an amazing six weeks at the Pierre Monteux School -- I hope to go back one summer. Oh, can't forget to mention the famous pig roast! On the way back my friend Shannon and I stopped in Boston for a day, New York City for two days, Philadelphia for a day, and then headed to Cincinnati. Like Maine, my time in Cincinnati, while not as scenic or relaxing as Maine, was very fun and I learned a lot from that city. I studied bass with Al Laszlo, who is a hugely respected member of the classical music world. I had many fantastic times with Jason McNeel, Kyle Elkins, Tim Crawford, Russ Zokaites, and many others. I played some pretty timeless pieces of music while at CCM, including some great opera. Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 in E Major, Mozart's Idomeneo, and Puccini's Gianni Schicchi were some highlights.

The pig with Carolina Mustard sauce.

Near the end of the first year of my Master's I had what I would call an epiphany or revelation: I didn't want to do music full-time anymore. One day I was practicing for an upcoming symphony audition for the Lexington (KY) Philharmonic, and I just put my bass and bow down, went and found Jason (who was also practicing), and said, "I don't think I want to do music anymore." This led to a big chain reaction from friends and family, but my mind was made up. It was a dark time for me. I stopped practicing completely, I showed up to lessons unprepared, same with rehearsals. I practiced just enough to know my music for orchestra, but other than that the thought or act of practicing made me sick. I completely changed my view and suddenly all these people so focused on practicing seemed strange to me. What I had done for the past five years seemed pointless to me. The bookshelves of sheet music, scores, recordings, bass gear, time... what was it all for? Like I said, it was a dark place, and I knew in the back of my mind that music wasn't done completely for me. I just needed a break, so I took one. As soon as all my school stuff was done, I packed everything I owned in Cinci into my car and drove home to Denver. Regrettably I didn't say goodbye to the friends I'd made there (which I still feel bad about), but I only had one thing on my mind and that was getting home. I got home, loosened the strings on my bass, put it in a corner, and didn't touch it for three months. I spent the summer with a girl, which kept my mind off of music (somewhat), and started thinking about what else I could do. That fall I decided I couldn't let music go and I couldn't let bass go, so I started practicing again and auditioned for a local orchestra, which I still play with today. I also taught some bass lessons.

It's always interesting for me to think back on my time as a classical musician. I still am a classical musician, but it's no longer my primary focus. I believe Western Art Music is man's most awe-inspiring creation, and there's a reason why it's still so prevalent in today's society. And while it's still around and being played, it's sad to me that it's not appreciated as much as it should be, at least here in the U.S. Either way, I am first and foremost a musician, and that shapes who I am and how I approach all other areas of my life -- teaching social studies, English, playing soccer, social interactions, communication... everything. This was mostly for me to get my thoughts down, but if you read it all, thank you!