Music has always been part of my life and as they say it's in my genes!! My Grandad was a violinist and led his own dance orchestra which performed for local dances, entertainment shows and played for silent movies. Although I was only 4 when he died the stories of his performances were told me on a regular basis in the old fashioned way of talking and discussion!! He was remembered fondly as a sweet, talented man.
My Auntie has a beautiful singing voice and performed in the fore mentioned entertainment shows as did my mum who recited poetry. I know that's not music but I assure you the way she expressed the poems was like music to my ears, and many others.
It was my brother Alan's influence which inspired me to want to play. He was a tuba player in the Church Brass Band and in the East Manchester Music Centre band. It was while attending one of their concerts that I saw three lads get up and play a cornet trio (I think it was Buglar's Holiday, but can't be sure - it was a long time ago!!). I fell in love with the sound and said to mum that I wanted to play the cornet.
I can remember Alan coming home from a band practice one night with a battered leather case tied with a belt containing a very old Boosey and Hawkes silver cornet. I didn't realize how fortunate I was then to just get given an instrument to try out. Alan taught me the basics of how to produce the notes and how to read music and I just started going along to band rehearsals sitting on the 4th cornet stand and playing what I could but mainly just listening!!!
It is at this point I thank God for the patience both Mum, Alan and the rest of the family had while they heard me fumble my way through exercise after exercise as I learnt how to make a decent sound out of a tube of brass!! It took a while!!!
When I started secondary school as I could already play (of sorts!!) they handed me a trumpet and said I could join the band, and as they say the rest is history!!! I will blog in the future about many a happy hour I had with my school wind band travelling to Ireland, Italy and Finland and recording two albums, and performing many, many concerts. Not bad for a school band!!!
It was a long time ago all that but my love for music has not changed. I've played with a number of bands since then, including Burnham Concert Band and had classical training at college. I now play with my worship band 'The Sound Professors' at Kerith Community Church. If you want to hear a mediocre trumpet player then why not come along one Sunday. If you want to hear a fab trumpet player then check out Chris Botti. Some great friends of mine introduced me to him last night by giving me a dvd.....I'm hooked...it's on in the background as I type this!!!
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