What instrument did you start your musical career on?

[JBegler]

I started with a Conn Director cornet my mom bought at a garage sale for 50 bucks in 1977 when I was entering 7th grade. I was already behind most others in our band by two years but with a lot of practice, I was playing first chair , first trumpet by my eighth grade year. My freshman year I worked my way to first chair again. My sophomore year I switched to baritone to fill the lack of anyone in that position. Played the baritone until my director bought a three valve Yamaha euphonium my junior year and through my senior year in 1983.

I hadn’t touched a horn since then until this past September when our current high school director put out a request for community members to help with the school pep band….they only have 4 students at the moment. I knew her from working with her at a retail store when she was still going to college. I told her if she had a baritone I could use I would see what I could do. She loaned me a Yamaha baritone and I went back to learning all over again. I was looking guru Facebook market place and ran across a horn for sale a couple hours drive away, it was a John Packer 074 for $600. My wife gave me the go ahead and I was able to get a little better price at $500. After getting the horn, giving it a good cleaning, ordering some music books, I was off and running. At least as much as I can for a one legged fat man 😎. A few weeks later I was browsing Facebook market place again and there was a listing for a John Packer 374s for $500, with stuck valves. I couldn’t pass that up, I figured the valves would be an easy fix ( which they were). So I talked to the wife again and we made arrangements to travel to buy it. Got it home, cleaned it up and got everything loose and working again and it plays fantastic. It’s a far better horn than I am a player but I’m working on that.

I lost my left leg above the knee at age 50 in. 2015 due to an accident related infection. Just this past April I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and have done radiation treatment on that so this return to music has been a pleasant distraction for me and with any luck, I can get my grandkids interested in taking up an instrument. My oldest granddaughter is playing the clarinet in fifth grade , just attended her first Christmas concert. She did a great job.

[hyperbolica]

I started on a rented King 605 trombone. I can still remember the new smell and my amazement at the case and how the thing went together.

[John Morgan]

...I lost my left leg above the knee at age 50 in. 2015 due to an accident related infection. Just this past April I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and have done radiation treatment on that so this return to music has been a pleasant distraction for me and with any luck, I can get my grandkids interested in taking up an instrument. My oldest granddaughter is playing the clarinet in fifth grade , just attended her first Christmas concert. She did a great job.

Well, good luck to you, indeed!! Seems you have had your share of hard luck, and there is nothing quite like music to put your attention towards something pleasant. I hope you are able to really sink yourself into the euphonium and perhaps join a community group in your neck of the woods. And maybe that will just help lick the prostate cancer, I am quite familiar with that in my family.

And getting your grandkids involved in music is so important. Good for you!! Good luck, I wish you a speedy riddance of the prostate cancer, and many hours, days, months, and years of euphonium playing to come.

And welcome to the forum!!

[JTJ]

Cornet, 7th grade
E flat sousaphone, 8th grade
Euphonium, 9th grade to senescence....

[daruby]

Hi all,

I started instrumental music midway through the 4th grade in January 1960 on baritone horn at age 9. I think I was playing a 3 valve Bundy bell front at the time. I also played Reynolds (grade 5 and 6) and Conn (grade 7 and 8) 3 valve horns. I graduated to a Conn Connstellation 24I in fall of 1965 when I was a freshman in HS and continued using the same type of horn through my 2nd year of college. So for the last 61+ years, I have always been a baritone/euphonium player.

Doug