Psycho Ward
Well-known member
Who opened your eyes, took you under their wing and helped you start playing music? I assume everyone for one reason or another decided to play music at some point or you wouldn’t be here. But what I’m talking about is the person who took enough interest in you to show you something, helped you or encouraged you to really play.
For me it was a high school band director named Mr. Frazier. I took up an instrument because my Dad told me all Wards play something. Of course he was thinking the guitar, banjo or fiddle; he was very disappointed that I chose the clarinet. I switched to sax because “Boots Randolph” played songs my Dad liked and I became “Slippers Randolph”. I learned every fiddle tune and my Dad and I played square dances, cake walks and just about every gig you could find in the mountains of Virginia for years.
But I wanted to play jazz and blues too. Then came Mr. Frazier. He had played his way thru college and was a hell of a sax player. He could improvise, I could only copy. He took me under his wing and worked with me every day at his home. He taught me the Blues scale, harmony and stretched my ears to hear things and understand things that I would have never done on my own. I progressed rapidly with his coaching. I really owe my music career to that man. My Dad too, but Mr. Frazier made me into a musician.
I hadn’t seen nor heard from him since 1973 but last week I was thinking about him so I Googled him. I found him right away and he has had an incredible career and now is Dr. Frazier and teaching again, this time at Western Carolina. We’ve been emailing each other almost everyday.
Music at Western Carolina University
Who helped you?
For me it was a high school band director named Mr. Frazier. I took up an instrument because my Dad told me all Wards play something. Of course he was thinking the guitar, banjo or fiddle; he was very disappointed that I chose the clarinet. I switched to sax because “Boots Randolph” played songs my Dad liked and I became “Slippers Randolph”. I learned every fiddle tune and my Dad and I played square dances, cake walks and just about every gig you could find in the mountains of Virginia for years.
But I wanted to play jazz and blues too. Then came Mr. Frazier. He had played his way thru college and was a hell of a sax player. He could improvise, I could only copy. He took me under his wing and worked with me every day at his home. He taught me the Blues scale, harmony and stretched my ears to hear things and understand things that I would have never done on my own. I progressed rapidly with his coaching. I really owe my music career to that man. My Dad too, but Mr. Frazier made me into a musician.
I hadn’t seen nor heard from him since 1973 but last week I was thinking about him so I Googled him. I found him right away and he has had an incredible career and now is Dr. Frazier and teaching again, this time at Western Carolina. We’ve been emailing each other almost everyday.
Music at Western Carolina University
Who helped you?
