My Musical Journey

Mom played piano, until she couldn’t any more. Dad played accordion and it fascinated me. I used to sit on the floor at his feet and watch him play until I was allowed to take lessons and learn to play for myself. My sister Patty took trombone in school and played in the band. Eventually, she mastered many brass instruments, but trombone was always her favorite. We used to sit in our bedroom for hours at a time and play together. Sometimes Dad would join us. I played in local shows, a couple of times on TV, and at weddings and other galas. Patty played in dance bands, German oom-pah bands and other types of groups, including Tuba Christmas. Tuba Christmas is a whole lot of individual free public concerts, held in cities worldwide. It celebrates those who play, teach, and compose music for instruments in the tuba family. Tuba Christmas is supposed to be strictly instrumental. In fact, each group plays the same arrangements of the same songs. But Patty once arranged with her conductor to allow me to sing with them. Just me and dozens of tubas and euphoniums performing Christmas and holiday favorites. It was a blast!