Sax Among Friends

Don’s earliest musical recollections are of radio broadcasts during WW II:  the many fine radio orchestras that played for the various “music hours”, the Saturday afternoon opera broadcasts from The Met, and the big band remotes.  He came out of that era with a deep love of musical sound in general and classical music and jazz in particular.

 

His first instruments were the violin, started in Grade 4 and the tuba, started in Grade 5.  While he loved playing them both, the real epiphany came when he heard sax players Earl Bostic, Paul Desmond, and Dick Stabile one night at a friend’s record party.  He was hooked and started working toward getting his own sax.

 

The arrival of his first alto sax in Grade 9 proved that he and the instrument were going to be long term friends...it was exactly the right choice.  Huge doors opened immediately: the various high school bands, transposing the bassoon parts (more about this one in a moment) in orchestras, and taking his place as lead alto in a professional big dance band.

 

Upon graduation from high school, having had the experience of working with an outstanding band director, Don decided that he wanted to teach music.  He applied to the local Teacher’s College in Nebraska and was accepted.  Big surprise:  the music department there would not accept the saxophone as a legitimate instrument in which to major.  So the summer between Grade 12 and first year, Don taught himself the basics of the bassoon and began playing the instrument for real.  The bassoon, although not Don’s favorite, also opened many doors.  Players of that instrument were few and many groups were looking for players, so the scholarships helped...but the sax was still his first love.

 

During his college years (early ‘60’s), with three other music majors, Don started a 4-piece dance band (playing alto, tenor, and valve trombone) so that he could afford to continue his studies.  The band, The Gaslighters, eventually put nine people through college over its 7-year run.  Perhaps more importantly, Don learned a great deal about the business workings of keeping a band afloat financially.

 

Don taught elementary, middle school and high school music in South and North Dakota, California, Oregon and British Columbia.  In the middle 90’s, he went to UBC to earn a Diploma in Guidance Studies and became a high school counsellor.  His last position in the Vancouver School District was as an online counsellor, online music course developer and teacher.  After a bout with cancer (now gone), he retired in May of 2007.

 

Don never lost his love of playing the sax and has been truly able to focus on that playing since his retirement.  He currently plays alto and soprano saxes with his own trio/quartet, Sax Among Friends; tenor sax with both The Miller-Aires and Sentimental Journey big bands; soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxes with Opera Appassionata; and soprano sax with The Oakridge Dixielanders.  In addition to these, Don co-directs and arranges for the Deer Lake United Church Choir and directs their KidZ Jazz Band.

 

His other involvements are as a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator facilitator, a voice actor, and making specialized clay pieces.  He lives in Burnaby with his Darling Bride (of 20 years), Jean, a funny little Sheltie named Kelly, 2 guitars and 4 saxes.