Born to perform

Ummm, yes. A lot.

I remember my first time on stage. I was in fifth grade. I took up trumpet that year, and as a matter of course, our ragtag little group of ten year olds played a few songs in the school Christmas concert. It was probably Jingle bells, and We wish you a Merry Christmas or some such thing.

I was nervous but excited also. I’m sure we sounded as best as we could for a group of kids that had been playing for a roughly three months. What I remember most was how I felt after I got offstage. It was the best feeling ever! I had no concept of “getting high,” but looking back on it – it was close.

I played trumpet on through high school performing in many more concerts. I picked up bass somewhere around my sophomore year and ended up playing that in a vocal jazz group my senior year. Yep, more concerts. I probably never quite captured that first high from fifth grade, but it was enough.

In my adulthood, I still play bass with Rowdy O’Reilly or anyone else who will let me jam with them. I’ve also done some community theater. It’s fun, but I prefer doing music. Although, I have to say that playing Ma Ferd/Mayor Belgoody in Toxic Avenger, the musical was a riot. I would totally play that part again if I had the chance.

The largest audience I performed in front of…

I got the opportunity to sing with a choir onstage with Foreigner.  Yes, sadly, it was “I want to know what love is,” but being up on stage in front of roughly 20,000 people was pretty cool. I thought about the many times I sat on the hill at Pine Knob in my younger days, thinking – some day, I want to be on that stage!

And there I was!