I've played the Tenor Saxophone for 11 years now. In high school, I played lead Tenor Saxophone in Marching, Symphonic and Jazz Bands. I was Quartermaster my Sophomore year and Band Master my Junior year in high school. I was chosen by audition to be the Drum Major for the 1998-99 school year, my Senior year of high school! Being Drum Major was an absolutely wonderful part of my High School life. I thoroughly enjoyed marching season with all of the benefits and responsibilities that came along with the Drum Major position! It is definitely something I will remember for the rest of my life!

In Sandalwood's band, I was Quartermaster and Chaplain. I was very lucky to have such an outstanding band director by the name of Mr. Mike Mitchell for 4 out of my 5 years in band in Jacksonville. Thanks to him, I have a great love and appreciation of music. He has been one of the biggest inspirations not only in music, but in my life. I wish him the best, as he certainly deserves it! Well, enough of the mushy stuff.

At my high school band awards banquet on May 25, 1999, I was awarded the John Philip Sousa Band award which is a national award recognizing top musicianship. I was given the Louis Armstrong Jazz award which is also a nationally given award recognizing top musicianship in the jazz concentration. At a previous awards ceremony for my whole school, I was awarded the David Gregory Award for being the most outstanding musician at my high school. (David Gregory was one of the conductors during Hardaway's glorious years, when Hardaway was one of the premiere bands in the nation. This award is quite an honor, as are the other two national awards.)

I was in All District band all four years of my high school career. In my Junior year of high school, we had an outstanding clinician by the name of Dr. John Culvahouse from UGA. My Senior year, we had a gentleman from the University of Alabama. An interesting thing, I made the All District band that year on both the Tenor Sax, which I had been playing for 7 years, and the Bari Sax, which I had been playing for 2 days prior to the audition! =o)

I made it to the State level audition for GHP (Governor's Honor Program) my junior year but I unfortunately didn't make that program (though I did make an "alternate" position). Out of the multi-thousand applicants they get for this program, something like 700 total are selected as finalists who get to go to the program. At least I made it to the State level, which is a nice accomplishment.

I was selected to attend the Florida State University's Tri-State Band Festival on December 3-6, 1998. This was a festival with participants from 3 states, FL, GA, and AL. This was a HUGE honor, and was one of the greatest experiences of my life! Our clinician, who I believe is one of the greatest conductors I've ever seen or worked with, was Mr. Gary Lewis of Texas Tech University. We performed Candide Suite by Bernstein, Prelude and Fugue in G-minor, and Fugue on Yankee Doodle by Sousa. I loved all of the pieces, especially the baroque Prelude and Fugue and Candide.

I also attended Jan Fest at UGA in January of 1999. This was the same sort of thing as Tri-State, where the best players from the state of GA are gathered together and work with university conductors, which culminates in a concert at the end. The only difference between Tri-State and JanFest is that JanFest has 1 honors band which is composed of the best players out of all in attendance of the festival. I was one of the 90 or so out of 800 to make the honor band, and had a great time! My conductor/clinician was Mr. Junkin of the University of Texas, and we performed some of the hardest music I've ever seen in my life such as The Galliant Seventh march by Sousa, Lincolnshire Posy by Grainger (5 of the 6 movements), and the third movement to Symphony No. 2 by Maslanka. (That piece alone was over 15 minutes, and the absolute hardest thing I have played in my life!) I had a great time, and being under Mr. Junkin's conduction was quite a treat -- he is a world-renowned conductor! I can definitely say that I will miss these honor clinics VERY much!

Currently I'm playing in a saxophone quartet called Reed Seed. We are 2 altos, a tenor (me) and a bari. We play many gigs around town, and all types of music from dixieland to classical to religious to blues. It's a lot of fun to be playing again.

Page Last Updated | 1/25/04 01:43