A lot of people have asked me how I got to where I am today. I mean, if you would have asked me 5 years ago what I'd be doing right now, my answer would be very different. Here's a little explanation of how I became a percussionist.
It all started back in high school. No, before that. I was finally old enough to pick an instrument and play it! I have always loved music and now that my brother was old enough and triumphed all odds to be in band I wanted to be there too. We're inseparable, you know. I didn't wan to play horn like him, because that's copying, so I shyly browsed my options and settled on the tenor sax. I was told that sax was easy and I still wanted to be different from the norm which is why I chose tenor over alto. I was handed an instrument of my own, taught a quick lesson on how to put the thing together and make a noise, and sent on my way.
I played it all through middle school and got pretty good. I took casual lessons from an older college guy and by the time I was in high school and the band geeks had been weeded out I was pretty much set. Around the time I switched schools I decided that being a music major was the cool thing to do and I was going to become a great sax player and play.... play..... Play what? Jazz? Uh oh, not into jazz. Play in some symphonic band? Maybe. The more I sat down and thought about it, the more I realized that my favorite ensemble was orchestra, and there aren't many sax parts in orchestra, let alone tenor sax! This was a problem. Little did I know an answer and a solution would not be far away...
My brother was in orchestra of course, being the giant band geek that he was. It was his favorite too and every time we dropped him off at rehearsal I would secretly wish to be there, playing something, being part of the music. I almost seriously considered learning a string instrument or something just so I could be a part of orchestra but that would not have been a good idea. Way too hard. My extremely lucky break came when I was a junior. It just so happens that the director of the JKSO was Dr. Kribana, who is also my brother's private instructor. Therefore, Gary knew him very well. As Gary can't drive, I went to pick him up one day, armed with a question on my mind. I got there and peered into the room. Dr. Kribana smiled and told me to come in, that he was expecting me. Gary had told him I had a question.
I did not know how to say it so it just came out, "Dr. Kribana, I really want to be in orchestra but I play tenor sax. Is there anything I could do to be involved?" Dr. K. looked up at me and smiled. He somehow knew that I would ask that and after thinking for a minute he looked at me and said "You know, there is something you could try..." I had no idea what he would say but I hoped it would be good. I was not expected for what he said. "You are a strong musician. I've heard you play before (his sons went to my same school). Why don't you try percussion? We need one for the spring."
Percussion? Really?? I'd never read a lick of percussion music in my life! I didn't even know how it was all notated. Despite this unusual and unexpected answer I was actually pretty excited. The words of my father came to my mind, "Never be afraid to try something new..." and so I put all my fears aside and said "Yes! I'll do it! Anything to be in orchestra! ...Now, how do I start?" Dr. K. smiled and said, "Well let's ask Dr. Langley. He's just down the hall!" In amazement Gary and I watched as he walked out of the room and knocked on the door straight across the hall from him, a huge grin on his face. An antisocial-looking gentleman with curly blond hair opened the door, mumbling "What is it, Kribana?" "I have a brand new percussionist here waiting for you to unlock the power of rhythm!" he beamed, pointing at me.
Dr. Langley looked at me and I could see his eyes study me up and down. I was pretty nervous but I saw his studious face begin to smile and he said, "Well, come on then. Let's find a time for us to meet." I shyly crept into his office, which was huge and full of all kinds of various instruments and things. I told him my contact info and scheduled it for the same time as Gary's lesson. That was that. He told me not to worry and that he would take good care of me and soon I was on my way, totally nervous, but way excited about learning some percussion.
My first lesson was totally awkward. I had no idea what I was doing and it was more hitting things with sticks than making music. The first thing he taught me actually was how to tune the timpani, since that was the instrument I'd be playing in JKSO. After we got that down, which was surprisingly easy, then I got to work learning how to make it sound like music and not a random thud. The first lesson is always the most awkward, because it's a new thing and nobody knows what the teacher is going to do... I left feeling like I learned one thing but I was armed with some tools and knowledge on how to read the music. Timpani music is written in notes, by the way.
I went to my very first JKSO rehearsal after that and managed to get everything tuned up and working... it only took like 20 minutes, haha. I kept forgetting stuff, like my mallets, pitch pipe, etc... I was such a mess back there but I actually felt like I was making music by the end. Man, it was tons of work. I still wasn't sure if I liked this whole percussion thing but then something happened. At my 2nd lesson, something clicked in me. It was like I belonged in the back! The things that I could barely do a week before suddenly became easy. Before long I was learning snare, cymbals, marimba! It was incredible! The more I worked at it, the more I loved it! By the time we had our first concert I felt like a legit percussionist and was totally into it. Thanks, Dr. K!
Of course I hid this throughout my junior and senior year, as I had to play tenor sax. We already had like 20 percussionists so I took the time to practice and play catch-up with the people who were really good. Before long, college rolled around and I made an easy decision. I decided to major in Percussion Performance. I wanted to become just like Dr. Langley. There was always a need for percussionists and I quickly learned the value of being good at it. I surprised a lot of people when I walked into band and orchestra with a mallet bag and not a neck strap. I was fortunate to have a good mentor who was my age named Eagle who made me feel like I had been there forever in the back.
By my junior year I had stopped playing tenor sax all together. I was in marching band on it for 2 years but longed to be in pit. Nowadays people know me as only a percussionist and barely remember that I once played something else. Sometimes it surprises me too. I have learned a lot in the past 5 years and Dr. Langley has become a very good friend and teacher. It no longer takes me forever to tune the timpani and I can read and play just about anything thrown back at me. I have become good friends with everyone in the section and of course remain the section leader in orchestra along with my good buddies. I am definitely planning to move back to my hometown of Kalta once I graduate and go to grad school there. Wow. I am a percussionist!
So that's where we're at now. I am halfway done with my junior year and things just keep getting better. I am so glad Dr. K. suggested percussion. It was a door to my rest of my life!
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