Music In High School (Part 1 of 6)

High School was a wealth of opportunity as far as music went. My sophomore year I was in the band and also one of the few sophomores in the Junior Choir. Some friends suggested I join a club called Sub Debs and Squires. This club went to Utah Symphony concerts at drastically reduced rates. We also got to go to special rehearsals of the Utah Symphony and even have private meetings with Robert Henderson, the assistant conductor. One very nice thing about Sub Debs and Squires was that it was made up mostly of girls. Pretty girls! Pretty girls that liked guys who liked classical music!
My sophomore year when I was in the Junior Choir, I sang bass. My junior year, I was in the Concert Choir with all the friends I had made in Junior Choir. I sang second tenor. I was also in the Jazz Choir. As a senior I was in the Concert Choir as well as the most elite singing group of the school, The Madrigals. My voice had moved up to first tenor. Somehow I thought when you grew older your voice got deeper. I was just the opposite.
Cottonwood was on an eight period block schedule. That meant we had eight classes, but only attended four a day. On even days we had 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th periods, while on odd days we went to 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th periods. When I was a senior, I had madrigals second period on even days and Concert Choir 5th period, on odd days. Mr. Lee our director got a little upset at me because I kept falling asleep in Concert Choir. I still sang in my sleep though. You can understand why I kept falling asleep. In addition to the groups I mentioned, I also played the string bass in the school orchestra as well as the Granite Youth Symphony. I was in the school musical, on the track team, and I was the captain of the Cross County running team. Add to this, working until ten, three nights a week at the grocery store and I wonder why I didn't fall asleep more often.
It wasn't just being in these choirs that mattered, it was the association with great people that did. Although all the rehearsals for these choirs were during school hours, as regular classes, we had our performances which were usually at night. There was a lot of car pooling to and from the places we sang at. After a performance we sometimes did something else as a group or as just a few friends.
Once we went to Pipes and Pizza after a performance. Several people who drove announced they were going there so anyone who wanted to, could come along. I was riding in Roger Lobrot's car. I was sitting next to Roger who drove a 1960's model Chevy Malibu. We drove right next to another car with our friends in it. Quickly, Roger told me to take a hold of the steering wheel and drive. I did so, just as Roger popped out the driver's side window and began rowing like he was in a boat.