Been There, Done That What they did before their music career achievements

By Lalo Davila

t seems like every time we open a percussion journal or music drummer/percussionist Shubert Theater (Chicago), house drummer at magazine we read about a particular artist who is touring with Empire Room: Palmer House Hotel (Chicago). someone famous, a recent endorsement deal, an industry assignment, Non-music related experiences: Ior about an author/composer’s publications. As we read of these Stock boy: 7–Eleven, janitor at apartment building, delivery for toy accomplishments we may wonder how these individuals came about representative, design and set-up toy department displays in various getting to that level of accomplishment. We have an idea that their Chicago-area stores. achievements derived from years of hard work and study in their field of expertise, but have these people always been able to make a living solely DAVE BLACK through music? Have you ever wondered what they might have done Current Occupation: besides music (or at least in addition to music) that helped them be able Editor-in-Chief, School & Church Publishing, for Alfred Publishing to “make it” in their career? Company; Director of Percussion Acquisitions for Alfred Publishing; I currently have students and friends who are working odd jobs in percussionist, composer/arranger, author. order to enable them to pursue their dream gig. Some are working as Non-music related experiences: pizza delivery people, waiters, and cooks, to name a few. For the purpose Cafeteria worker in the college dorms, worked at the local church rectory of this article, I asked a number of prominent players what they did, in high school, worked as teacher’s aide in an elementary school in besides music, in an effort to keep their musical endeavors alive. These between my first two tours. accounts of their history should provide hope and motivation for all those whose dream is to someday achieve their desired career in music. ROBERT BREITHAUPT I know that some of my students (and maybe even you) sometimes get Current Occupation: discouraged when they have to work odd jobs outside the music arena in Professor of Music, Capital University; Executive Director, Jazz Arts order to continue their music studies. I hope that after you see the jobs Group of Columbus; PAS Past-President; V.P. Columbus Percussion some of our leading artists have done while working to develop their (1981–2006); arts administrator, performer, author, clinician, consultant. musical careers, you will be inspired to continue on your road to success Non-music related experiences: in your chosen field. Worked in family dry cleaners; worked maintenance at local swimming The following individuals were randomly selected and were kind pool. enough to share some of their experiences with us. I enjoyed reading their responses and hope you will, too. MICHAEL BURRITT Current Occupation: KEITH ALEO Professor of Percussion at Eastman School of Music, solo and chamber Current Occupation: performing artist, composer, recording artist. Director of Education and Orchestral Activities, Avedis Zildjian Non-music related experiences: Company; faculty, Boston Conservatory of Music and Interlochen Arts Gas station attendant, janitor, busboy, dishwasher for school cafeteria. Camp; freelance musician, Boston area. Non-music related experiences: JAMES CAMPBELL Grocery bagger, stock person, painter. Current Occupation: Professor of Music, Director of Percussion Studies, University of ROBBY AMEEN Kentucky; Principal Percussionist, Lexington Philharmonic; composer, Current Occupation: author, clinician. Drummer, composer, bandleader. Non-music related experiences: Non-music related experiences: Fast food cook, drug store clerk, county mosquito control. Deli delivery boy, worked in the New York City garment district. CAROL CARPENTER MIKE BALTER Current Occupation: Current Occupation: Percussion Artist Relations/Marketing Coordinator West Coast, President of Mike Balter Mallets; musician: drums and percussion. Innovative Percussion, Inc. Prior music related experiences: Non-music related experiences: Taught drums and percussion at DePaul University, Governor’s State McDonalds, Round Table Pizza, hardware store cashier. University (Illinois), American Conservatory of Music, 10 years working at Franks Drum Shop, private drum/percussion teacher, 15 years house

percussive notes 66 JULY 2011 JIM CASELLA Orchestra; Director of Percussion Studies, Cleveland State University; Current Occupation: owner of Freer Percussion Products; consultant for Pearl/Adams. Freelance composer for media and performance groups, jimcasella.com; Non-music related experiences: producer/publisher/developer/business owner, Tapspace Publications. Kelly Girl temp secretary, development office secretary, waiter, telephone Non-music related experiences: solicitor, art museum guard. Newspaper delivery person, construction site cleanup, janitor, shooting cage clay pigeon setter, video store clerk, drum shop salesperson, QA RICHIE GAJATE GARCIA Engineer at Apple Computer. Current Occupation: Percussionist/drummer, recording artist, studio musician. CHRIS CROCKARELL Non-music related experiences: Current Occupation: Real estate. President: Row-Loff Productions, Nashville freelance musician. Non-music related experiences: IHOP dish washer technician, Domino’s Pizza delivery, water purifier Current Occupation: salesman. Associate Band Director/Percussion Instructor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; composer, author, clinician. FAUSTO CUEVAS III Non-music related experiences: Current Occupation: Aluminum siding installation, maintenance assistant: painting, grass Touring/peforming musician, studio musician. cutting, cleaning of facilities, floor polishing. Non-music related experiences: Restaurant cashier, host, server, and busboy in family business, retail sales associate. Current Occupation: Percussion arranger/composer/teacher, Head Talk percussion school JULIE DAVILA (Loveland, Colorado), drum corps/band/percussion ensemble arranger/ Current Occupation: composer (international) /indoor percussion adjudicator Adjunct instructor Middle Tenneessee State University; author, (international), author, studio musician. composer, WGI adjudicator, Caixa Trio. Non-music related experiences: Non-music related experiences: Paper routes, shoe shining, substitute teacher for junior high and Waitress at a restaurant, worker at a popcorn stand in a mall, worked for elementary schools, cannery work, secretary for oil co., secretary for life Kansas City Tax Department. insurance co., fast food worker, stock/cashier at supermarket, pigeon raising and sales, pet store attendant, librarian, fruit stand worker, LALO DAVILA playground director, child care. Current Occupation: Professor of Music, Director of Percussion Studies: Middle Tennessee State University; composer, author, clinician, bandleader, studio musician, singer, voice of Jafar (Aladdin Dual Language Series). Non-music related experiences: Brick layer, sheet rock installer, insulation installer, photographic services, fireworks stand worker.

DENNIS DELUCIA Current occupation: President of DeLucia’s Marching Emporium, Inc., write percussion charts for corps and bands, write books and cadence packages for Row- Loff, judge band and indoor drumline competitions, sit on the WGI Steering Committee and the PAS Marching Committee, give clinics for students, teachers and judges; co-host the annual telecast of DCI Championships on ESPN and in movie theaters, write articles, serve as an educational consultant/clinician for Yamaha, Remo, Pro-Mark and Sabian, serve PAS in any way possible. Non-music related experiences: Delivery driver for a photo-processing firm, executive trainee for a NY- NJ department store, buyer of men’s clothing for a department store, sales rep for a uniform/music distributor.

VIC FIRTH Current Occupation: Founder of Inc.; performer (retired Boston Symphony), composer, author, educator (retired New England Conservatory). Non-music related experiences: Pumped gas at a gasoline station.

TOM FREER Current Occupation: Assistant Principal Timpanist/Section Percussion, The Cleveland

percussive notes 67 JULY 2011 RICH HOLLY Non-music related experiences: Current Occupation: Ford dealer car parts dept., shipping & receiving clerk, repairing water Associate Dean, College of Visual and Performing Arts and Professor of meters for industrial usage, welder at King Musical Instruments. Music, School of Music, Northern Illinois University; composer, author, international performing career, PAS Past-President. NORMAN WEINBERG Non-music related experiences: Current Occupation: Golf course caddy, cosmetics store stocker, plastics factory machine Professor of Music, Director of Percussion Studies, University of operator and assistant foreman, UPS packer for Bosch auto parts, house Arizona; author, performer, composer, technology specialist. painter. Non-music related experiences: Restaurant waiter, restaurant kitchen help, scrap metal warehouse worker, STEVE HOUGHTON plumbing supply stock boy, Santa Claus. Current Occupation: Professor of Music: Indiana University; author, clinician, professional We are often put through challenges in our lives. Some people refer to musician, PAS Past-President and volunteer. these challenges as “stumbling blocks,” some may even call them “hurdles Non-music related experiences: to jump.” No matter what they may be called, these challenges are merely Worked in a clothing store throughout high school, was maintenance there as a test to see if we really want to continue to strive to achieve our coordinator (stock boy/janitor), and mowed thousands of lawns. life’s goals. We practice, we work, we go to school, and we perform. At times this may seem like a never-ending process. I am sure that all of SCOTT JOHNSON these people on this list (including myself ) could share story after story Current Occupation: about their own life’s tests. Don’t give up. Director of Percussion, Concord Blue Devils Drum & Bugle Corp; I will leave you with this true story that happened just recently. I worldwide clinician, , composer, author, studio pulled in to a gasoline station to fill up my vehicle. A young man who musician; owner, ScottJohnsonDrums.com was working around the gasoline pumps noticed that I had a drum Non-music related experiences: company license plate on my car. He said to me, “I am a drummer, too. Gardner, silk screen employee, construction inspection employee, laborer Someday I am going to do music as my career.” I asked him if he knew for general contractor, backhoe operator, dump truck driver. who Vic Firth is, and he said “YES!” When I told him that Vic Firth had once pumped gas, he got very excited and thanked me for having told VICTOR MENDOZA him this information. Current Occupation: Good luck with your quest for a career in music. Work hard, practice Professor, Berklee College of Music; clinician, performing/recording hard, but pray harder. Believe me, it works. artist, composer, author. Non-music related experiences: Lalo Davila is Professor of Music and Director of Percussion Studies at Substitute teacher (non-music), waiter, busboy, warehouse help. Middle Tennessee State University. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from Texas A&M Corpus Christi and a Master of Music degree JIM RILEY from the University of North Texas. Lalo has extensive experience Current Occupation: as an educator, composer, author, and performer. He has served as an Drummer and bandleader for Rascal Flatts, freelance producer, session instructor for the Phantom Regiment, Sky Ryders, Blue Colts, and drummer, vocalist, educator, and clinician. the Star of Indiana Drum and Bugle Corps. He has performed with Non-music related experiences: the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra, the Nashville Symphony, Cook at Wendy’s, salesman in the men’s department of Sears, salesman the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, the Nashville Chamber Orchestra, the and drum builder at Kansas City Drumworks, warehouse worker at Nashville Chamber Chorus, the Nashville Ballet, Six Pence and None Pearl’s Nashville warehouse. the Richer, Clay Walker, Vickie Carr, Allen Vizzutti, Arturo Sandoval, and Sherry Lewis to name a few. He recently performed percussion and NEY GABRIEL ROSAURO lead vocals for the American Bible Society CD project and can be heard Current Occupation: on Kirk Whalum’s Grammy-nominated CD, Hymns In The Garden. Lalo Former Director of Percussion Studies at the University of Miami; performs with several Latin groups including Orkesta Eme Pe. PN freelance artist and composer. Non-music related experiences: Administrative work in a laundry, kindergarten and middle school teacher, leather atelier worker.

MATT SAVAGE Current Occupation: Director of Marching Percussion, University of North Carolina; W.G.I. percussion judge, founder of Rhythm Alive Drum Circle Team Building Events. Non-music related experiences: New York Telephone Company, grapevine trimmer, sandwich sales.

ERIC SINGER Current Occupation: Drummer/vocalist with Kiss and Alice Cooper. Performed live or in studio with such artists as Brian May, Black Sabbath, Queen, Badlands, Gary Moore, The Cult, Lita Ford, Paul Stanley, The Eurythmics, Bono and Edge (U2), Olivia Newton John, and others. percussive notes 68 JULY 2011 percussive notes 69 JULY 2011