Journey to the Past
Jan. 19th, 2019 04:52 pmA few days ago, I wrote a long post about trip destinations for my birthday this year. I listed several possible destinations. Seattle was winning, but I couldn't find affordable airfares for late March, so travel there will have to be postponed to a later date.
Out of the blue, I was notified about a 125th Anniversary reunion and concert for the Singing Cadets of Texas A&M University the weekend of April 5-7 in College Station, TX. Several old friends contacted me and were really hopeful I would attend. At first I said no, but them curiosity got hold me of me. The weekend is exactly two weeks after my 65th birthday, so reasonably close to my actual birth date. I was able to book a very reasonable Southwest airlines RT ticket from Minneapolis to Austin, plus I would also get to celebrate with my family.
What is so important about this event that I delayed other travel destinations? Contrary to what some people might think, I did not grow up singing. In my school you had to choose between band and choir and I chose band. In the second semester of my Freshman year of college, I auditioned for the Singing Cadets, an all-male glee club, and made it. From this modest spur-of-the-moment decision, my theater career began. I initally joined the Singing Cadets because the group was going to make its first overseas trip (to Romania) and 20-year old me thought it would be a very cool thing to do. I convinced my best friend, CH, to audition, too, and we stood side by side for four years in the middle of the top row of the bleachers.
What I didn't expect ... and what happened very quickly ... was I found my calling. I immediately began to get solos and director, Robert Boone, became my mentor. Bob helped me prepare for my first professional audition. While in college, I auditioned in Dallas and was one of two singers out of 500 hired for a summer musical in Palo Duro Canyon. I auditioned and landed a lead role in Texas A&M's first musical, "Godspell". It began the trend of flying by the seat of my pants, auditioning, being hired/cast and learning on the job.
Every couple of years for a couple of decades, I made the trip back to College Station, TX and visited with Mr. Boone. He was always so proud of each success. His faith and belief in me sustained me through difficult years in New York City in the early 1980's. He remained one of my biggest fans until his death. To date, I am the only Singing Cadet who has had a successful professional career in musical theater.
The last time I attended a Singing Cadets event was for Boone's funeral about 20 years ago. 300 Singing Cadets, current and former, sang at his funeral. I have remained friends with a handful of these men to this day (and some of their wives with whom I sang in a mixed vocal group). It is important to me to have contact with these people; I have known them for 45 years; it will be a joyful experience to catch up with them, return and celebrate the beginnings of my life-long career.
My sister Colleen will be my date for the reunion and concert. She knows many of these men and women as well as I do, having waited for me an hour every afternoon after classes while the Singing Cadets practiced. For my 65th birthday, I'm returning to where it all began. Who knows? Perhaps, I'll find the inspiration to revive my career by making a journey to the past!
Out of the blue, I was notified about a 125th Anniversary reunion and concert for the Singing Cadets of Texas A&M University the weekend of April 5-7 in College Station, TX. Several old friends contacted me and were really hopeful I would attend. At first I said no, but them curiosity got hold me of me. The weekend is exactly two weeks after my 65th birthday, so reasonably close to my actual birth date. I was able to book a very reasonable Southwest airlines RT ticket from Minneapolis to Austin, plus I would also get to celebrate with my family.
What is so important about this event that I delayed other travel destinations? Contrary to what some people might think, I did not grow up singing. In my school you had to choose between band and choir and I chose band. In the second semester of my Freshman year of college, I auditioned for the Singing Cadets, an all-male glee club, and made it. From this modest spur-of-the-moment decision, my theater career began. I initally joined the Singing Cadets because the group was going to make its first overseas trip (to Romania) and 20-year old me thought it would be a very cool thing to do. I convinced my best friend, CH, to audition, too, and we stood side by side for four years in the middle of the top row of the bleachers.
What I didn't expect ... and what happened very quickly ... was I found my calling. I immediately began to get solos and director, Robert Boone, became my mentor. Bob helped me prepare for my first professional audition. While in college, I auditioned in Dallas and was one of two singers out of 500 hired for a summer musical in Palo Duro Canyon. I auditioned and landed a lead role in Texas A&M's first musical, "Godspell". It began the trend of flying by the seat of my pants, auditioning, being hired/cast and learning on the job.
Every couple of years for a couple of decades, I made the trip back to College Station, TX and visited with Mr. Boone. He was always so proud of each success. His faith and belief in me sustained me through difficult years in New York City in the early 1980's. He remained one of my biggest fans until his death. To date, I am the only Singing Cadet who has had a successful professional career in musical theater.
The last time I attended a Singing Cadets event was for Boone's funeral about 20 years ago. 300 Singing Cadets, current and former, sang at his funeral. I have remained friends with a handful of these men to this day (and some of their wives with whom I sang in a mixed vocal group). It is important to me to have contact with these people; I have known them for 45 years; it will be a joyful experience to catch up with them, return and celebrate the beginnings of my life-long career.
My sister Colleen will be my date for the reunion and concert. She knows many of these men and women as well as I do, having waited for me an hour every afternoon after classes while the Singing Cadets practiced. For my 65th birthday, I'm returning to where it all began. Who knows? Perhaps, I'll find the inspiration to revive my career by making a journey to the past!