For as long as I can remember, even as a tot my favorite toys were musical ones. Those little pianos, xylophones, plastic wind instruments or whatever. I could play many songs by ear on them.

This is perhaps due to my father who played Violin, Trumpet, Organ and Ukulele. When we were children, the uke and the song books would come out and we'd all sing along. I know own his violin and uke.

My father was a printer by trade, and we didn't have a lot of money so music lessons were not in the picture. But when we moved to Florida due to my little sister's health problems, I wanted to join the band.

Since we were new, it was the 7th grade, most started in the 6th grade, and the town was small, there were no available instruments to rent. So the new guys all got a pair of drumsticks and a practice pad.

Then perhaps the best thing in my life happened to me. The Tenor sax player and her family moved. The band director asked who wanted to play the sax, and although I was in love with the sound of the Euphonium (Baritone Horn) I wanted to play anything that could make melodies so I guess I was more enthusiastic than the other drummers.

I took to it well, and became first sax in the all-state band every year that I was eligible to compete.

I joined a rock road band that eventually became the opening act for headliners in concert. The other musicians in the band taught me how to play bass, guitar, and keyboards to the point where could double. I eventually taught myself flute, wind synthesizer and vocals (the most difficult instrument for me).

For most of my life, playing music has been my sole occupation. I did take two 'day-jobs' when I felt pressured to be "normal" and found normal is soooooo over-rated. Neither lasted all that long and I always played music as a weekend warrior during those phases.

In the 1990s I started making aftermarket styles for Band-in-a-Box which was fun for me because I play the instruments required, took music arranging and theory in school, and really enjoyed the creative process.

I made a small collection of styles, gave them to my friends who told me they liked them better than the PG Music "built in" styles (aren't friends wonderful!) and a friend who taught jazz guitar at the University of Miami told me that I should take out an ad and sell them. So I did.

It was on Atari computer, and one day Peter Gannon called, noticed I was selling for Atari, and helped me make my styles available for PC (it was DOS back then) and Mac. Since then, Peter has always been ready to help whenever I ask. Thank you Pater.

So now I find myself at retirement age. That happened very quickly. I have no plans to retire though. This life is just too much fun.

I'm in a duo with the person who is now my wife (world-class vocals plus guitar and synth), I still gig from one or two nights per week in the off season to 5 or 7 nights per week in the high season. Playing music is the most fun Leilani and I can have with our clothes on wink so why should we want to quit and become retired people?

I find that even though I've been involved in music all my life, I've only scratched the surface of what I can learn and explore. If I live to be 140 I'm sure I'll never learn it all. And I guess that's what keeps it interesting.

Insights and incites by Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

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