When
I was growing
up, there was always music in the home, and a piano, but very little
money or extras.
My father and
mother both never completed past the 8th
grades in their formal education.
He
emigrated from the Bahamas, she
moved to Miami from Louisiana. He was a hard working blue collar worker
(fence builder at first, then electrician for the power company, then
he trained and became a specialist maintaining deisel engines on ocean
going ships during and after World War II). However, my father played
many stringed instruments, like the banjo, mandolin, ukalelee, etc and
later the string bass. My father and mother sang in church and other
choirs and took vocal music lessons.
My
Father's Collection of Stringed Instruments
Which He Played
My
Father Played the String Bass, 1930's-40's
Dad and Mother Sang in Church Choirs,
1950's - 1970's
My father organized his own orchestra,
called the "Elden's Musical Men",
and played for a variety of events, getting jobs from newspaper
advertisements and
handing out business cards.
An Ad Seeking a Musical Engagement
There was little money available in our family growing up, but three
things my
parents gave to each of of the four of us; 1. a strong foundation in
the Roman Catholic religon (Pre-Vatican II style), 2. an appreciation
of the importance of an education, and 3. training in music. I believe
having grown up during the later years of the Depression and World War
II, these traits instilled in me that I did not want to be unemployed
or go without the necessary things in life later on, so I worked that
much harder to achieve success in the things I did.
