What is your earliest-in-life recollection of an experience that pointed you toward a passion that has sustained you ever since? Put aside whether or not that life-sustaining passion later ever turned into a way to make money or became a career. Focus instead on the experience, describe it to me, tell me how early in life it happened to you.
As my wife recently described to me again her four-year-old self being transfixed by the underside of flowers growing in her childhood backyard, I was thirteen. Each time "Do-lang, do-lang, do lang" signaled the start of He's So Fine, my world came to a standstill. I remained anxiously glued to the radio awaiting the brief drum break just before the Chiffons sang "He's so fine (oh yeah), gotta be mine (oh yeah)". I didn't learn until many years later that the drum fill that rocked me to the core was played by the legendary session drummer Hal Blaine. But I do clearly recall thirteen-year-old Pat knowing he would never be quite the same. When a childhood friend and good musician asked me a short while later to learn how to play drums and join his junior high school band, I lunged at the opportunity.
Over fifty-seven years have gone by. I often reflect on what my life would have been like had I never heard that Hal Blaine drum fill. I sometimes wish I'd had the opportunity to thank him for helping me discover what I now know was my destiny. I suspect he would have appreciated knowing he helped shape my life.
THE BEATLES SHE LOVES YOU THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW FEBRUARY 9, 1964
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu3XYi05Tiw
Anonymous; Thanks for sharing this link. Like for many in my generation, the Beatles appearing on the Ed Sullivan show is so formative it feels embedded in my DNA. And though my first musical epiphany was that drum break on "He's So Fine", not long after, the Beatles simply codified what I knew in my bones when I heard that Hal Blaine fill a year or two earlier, i.e. music would be my life. Thanks for reminding me of another piece of the puzzle.
DeleteLying in bed sick and home from school in 9th grade, listening to AM radio on my transistor radio when the DJ announced that they were going to play some new music from England. They then played She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Tell Me and I Only want to be With you. When these 4 songs ended, I no longer felt sick and wanted to jump out of bed and tell everyone I know what I just experienced.
ReplyDeleteBob; I'm thrilled to see a comment here from you. And though this isn't the first time I've alluded here to the critical role you played in my musical life, I'm so pleased you chose to weigh in and tell me about your musical awakening; an AM transistor radio, indeed. The four songs from the British Invasion mentioned in your comment (including two by the Beatles, one of which overlaps with the anonymous comment above) all remain personal favorites. Each of them is like a thread that connects me to those life-altering days and to you.
DeleteI still have that radio by the way. It wasn't quite an awakening as I was already hooked by early Elvis Presley, Del Shannon, Gene Pitney, the Everly Brothers and then of course the 4 Seasons, the Beach Boys and early Motown, But it was definitely a jolt to a higher level. P.S. Still playing nearly every day.
ReplyDeleteBob; Thrilled to hear you are still playing every day. Maybe we can fit in time to get together soon so I can hear your progress? Let's use e-mail or phone vs. back-and-forth here.
DeleteGood morning, Pat. There is no question as to the experience that pointed me towards a passion ... being introduced to, and then involved with, Theater. It all started in my sophomore year in HS. A friend and I decided to stay after school one afternoon and see what was going on. When it was time to take the late bus to go home we found that we had one small problem. Since we didn't really have permission to stay after school, and we weren't involved in after school activities we didn't have a pass to take the late bus home. After some initial panic by a couple of 15 year olds, we found ourselves in the auditorium where the new English Teacher/Director was holding auditions for what were to be the first productions of the year. He made it very simple for us - a pass for the late bus if we auditioned. Having little choice, we both auditioned, were given the passes for the late bus (a deal is a deal) and went home. The next day while in English class, with this same teacher of course, I was asked to look at the cast list that was posted on the front bulletin board. And, without any exaggeration at all, my life was changed. Productions for the rest of my years there would follow, plays in college and plays with various community theaters after that. And, to this day, whenever opportunities present themselves, I'm there. A passion was discovered and it remains one of the only times I truly feel a sense of belonging. Not the only time, but definitely one of them. I tried to stay in touch with him and about 6-7 years ago I was able to work with him again. It brought back so many wonderful memories. Sadly he passed a few years ago but I was able to share this story with his wife and daughters. That was a good thing. Over the years there have been a few others that have had major influences in my life, but I owe my initial discovery of, and passion for, the theater to Dan Greene.
ReplyDeleteHope you're all doing well, my friend
Bob
Bob; Your passion for the theater has come through loud and clear over the several months you've been regularly commenting. So, to hear now the more comprehensive story of how your passion evolved - the "origin" story, if you will - further deepens my understanding of you. I especially appreciate the ending of the comment above when you spoke of thanking Dan Greene's wife and daughters. I'm certain that meant a great deal to them. Thanks for continually sharing so much of yourself here.
DeleteHi Pat. My younger brother and I, the two oldest out a family of 7 kids, were tasked with washing and drying the dishes after supper every night of the week. We would break the monotony by listening to the kitchen radio. One evening a new song came on that left us both transfixed. It was "Let There Be Drums" by Sandy Nelson. Charted no. 7 on Billboard in 1961. I did not become a drummer but my brother Ray did as a pastime when he was a teenager. I have that track on my iPod and of course listening to it brings me right back to that time and place. My musical epiphany came occurred several years later in a peculiar encounter with a guitar left in our living room by a guest at a costume party given by my parents. Early in the morning of the next day I was up early before anyone else and took the guitar down to the basement and began strumming the lower base strings and fretting notes with one finger. I was instantly totally hooked on the sound coming out this thing. Like, hey, I'm making music here! I was fourteen. Sometime later that year I had my own first guitar, an almost unplayable Sears Silvertone archtop acoustic with f-holes and a mini humbucker pickup. The action, i.e., the string height about the fret board for all of those not familiar with the term, was incredibly high and my finger tips were incredibly sore all of time. But I got those callouses real fast. Yeeha. I would routinely blow out the audio vacuum tube in our living room TV because it had an audio jack I could plug into. Unfortunately the impedance was way too hot for the TV. Eventually my dad had a co-worker fabricate a primitive one speaker amp in a small case with an on/off switch and volume control knob. I wish I still had that little thing. Anyway, half a dozen electric and acoustic guitars later, at age 73, I'm still playing due in large part to the fantastic lessons I received over a period of 3 years from YOU, my friend. I can never thank you enough for helping keep a musical dream alive.
ReplyDeleteSteve; The last part of this comment when you refer to the role you say I've played in "..keeping your musical dream alive.." is gracious and affirming; thank you. As much as I enjoyed that part, I'm equally pleased you took the time to write this in-depth comment re "Let There Be Drums", followed by your journey discovering the guitar. Great stuff and precisely what I hoped I'd get from at least a few people who took the time to read my ramblings. Thanks also for that.
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