I was never a very good sight reader growing up due to my dyslexia. When the notes started going by too quickly, I would have to wing it because I just couldn't see them. This was always a great embarrassment to me but I guess it was a good thing in a way because it helped me to develop my ears. Despite my reading difficulties, my teacher still supported and encouraged me musically thank goodness. So bless my classical flute teacher for never berating me and instead sending me to jazz school where I felt like I was finally home musically.
Graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Jazz Composition. I was fortunate enough to get to study with Herb Pomeroy, Greg Hopkins, Bob Freedman, Ken Pullig, Wayne Naus, Dennis Grillo and Richard Lowell. I started copying charts for Bob Freedman to make extra money while in school and of course spent many hours copying my own charts, pen and ink, on a blue footlocker in a tiny apartment in Boston. Bless all of my friends that stopped by to keep me company and bring coffee. I met so many great people while at school!
I then lived in Phoenix for several years where I was a professional jazz flautist in various duos, trios, quartets etc. and also an R&B band. We did a mix of original music and standards and played at clubs, casual gigs and jazz and art festivals. I worked with and studied with a wonderful person and jazz guitar player named Bud Dimock during that time too. That was always great fun! The highlight of my time in Phoenix was getting to play with Ray Charles and his band during one of his concerts in Phoenix. I will never forget that! Bless my booking agent for hiring me for that one!
I currently live in Los Angeles and make my living as a full time musician. Most of my income comes from being a proofreader, copyist, midi transcriptionist and music librarian for feature films and television. But I also compose, arrange, orchestrate and play from time to time as well. I do a bit of computer consulting for a hand full of musicians here in town too. Not only are these people wildly talented musicians, they are also wonderful, kind, warm and decent human beings. Bless them (and their wives who are equally wonderful) for adding so much to my life in the past couple of years. They have reminded me of how much sheer joy can be found in creating and playing music just for the sake of the music itself. A couple of them are listers here so I'll take this chance to say thank you!
For recreation, I love to read, water and snow ski, and spend as much time as possible just hanging out and talking with friends. The older I get the more I realize that simple pleasures really are the best.
Thanks Bob for starting this thread. And thanks to all of you who have posted. I have enjoyed reading your stories very much!
-Karen
P.S. to John Howell...my mother hails from Radford. I can remember going to Blacksburg many times as a child with my mother and grandmother.
P.S.S. Christopher, thank you for also writing in your post about how you actually create your music i.e. still with paper and pencil at the piano in the beginning and then to the computer. I'm with you on that!! I can't write directly to the computer either though I know there are those who can and do with much success. I too usually start at the piano and then move to the computer to orchestrate. Maybe this is another idea for an OT conversation. I'm always curious as to others' methods of writing and how they go about the process.
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