I thought I'd start my blog today with some humor about my career, but as I was trying to remember musician jokes I was thinking about how the jokes that make us laugh the hardest do so because they're based on truth.
A band leader calls out a tune to the vocalist on the gig: "I Remember April" the first 6 bars in Ab, bar 7 modulate down to the key of F, bar 12 change to 7/8, modulate back to Ab to end the head"
The singer looks concerned and says "Oh I couldn't possibly do that!"
Band leader: "You did it that way last night!"
I tell this joke to my voice students. It's an effective way to say "don't do that!"
Humor beautifully magnifies life's absurdities and makes us laugh at ourselves instead of the painful alternative.
What's the difference between a dead squirrel on the side of the road and a dead trombone player?
The squirrel was on his way to a gig.
How did the jazz musician end up with a million dollars?
He started with 2 million.
Actually I've always been a bit proud of the fact that I chose this esoteric path knowing it more than likely would not be a lucrative path. That approach to life must be in my DNA. My grandfather was in Vaudeville and along with grandmother Grace raised 4 children and had a rich life full of travel, culture, music, theatre and most importantly humor. My father found a way to be a jazz musician and support a family with 4 children giving us everything we needed and much more. I never felt like I lacked for a thing...quite the opposite...I felt like the lucky kid on the block. Our house was the house that everyone wanted to play at. My mother encouraged spontaneous living room plays, performances, parades down Sterling Avenue and always there was music.
My childhood was like a Judy Garland /Micky Rooney film "Hey Andy! There's costumes out in old mister Greens barn!"
Well, not quite...we didn't have a barn...but we were constantly singing and dancing and dressing up and performing with the assistance of my creative parents. Memories of my childhood were pretty close to idyllic. Music was part of every single day in our home and that was...is still...priceless.
So what's the difference between a large pizza and a jazz guitarist?
The pizza can feed a family of four.
Might be true...but truth be told I feel very rich.
My parents...
Mother on tour in the early 40's
My uncle Don and my grandfather Thomas in their Vaudeville Act
My father...
Mother pregnant with me! My earliest press shot :-)
