Granite Youth World Tour 1979 (Part 12 of 12)

Though I had plenty to keep me busy the rest of that summer, I still had a hole in my heart for that Granite Youth Symphony tour. I think it was being with those wonderful friends that I missed most. I participated for a week-long music experience called the National Youth Symphony at the University of Utah. One day we even got to play along with the Utah Symphony, through luck I was able to play next to the string bass section leader of the Utah Symphony and he gave me some very good pointers. I came to love one of the pieces, the Dvorak Eighth symphony. Most of the time we were prepared by Terry Hill, but on the final day we played a concert that night with our conductor who was none other than Crawford Gates. I had now played the string bass for seven months. The other bass players had all played much longer than me, but my Dad, who is a violinist said my vibrato was the fastest and the steadiest of anyones. I finished out the summer by attending a music workshop at Cottonwood High School. I got individual instruction on the bass by a man from Summerhays music.
My senior year in high school began with me in the Granite Youth Symphony again. The practices were every Wednesday and I loved them. Most notable concerts were the Salt Palace main arena for the Utah Education Association convention and our final concert in the Spring of 1980 with Robert Henderson, assistant conductor of the Utah Symphony, conducting. At all Granite Youth concerts I played with many people on the string bass, but for the Cottonwood Symphony Orchestra I was the only bass player. The adjudicator for our region orchestra festival, Ardene Watts who had been the assistant conductor of the Utah Symphony, said that I did very well on the string bass all by myself. And then at the end of the year I won a trophy for being the most improved senior that year. The string bass is an instrument in high demand. I was asked to accompany the Madrigals, which I was already a singer for. And after my mission, I was even invited by Mr. Chatelin to play with the Granite Youth Symphony for their Christmas concert in 1982. But I graciously declined that. I played one semester in 1983 in the BYU string orchestra. And then too many other demands took over my life.

Coming Tomorrow: My Brother Johnny