[Trombone-l] Basic and trombone (was New place, old desires)

[Jim Preston]

I graduated from WVU with a degree in music in 1968. I had already 
enlisted in the navy and went to boot camp at Great Lakes. Yes, it was 
nice to be in the recruit band while there. It kept me out of some other 
duties, such as mess cooking. Part of my stay there was in September and 
early October, so the band went off base on some weekends to play for 
Octoberfests.

After boot camp, I went to the Armed Forces School of Music at Norfolk, 
where I was very fortunate to have Tom Ervin for my trombone teacher. 
Tom, you helped me a great deal with playing jazz figures. Thank you.

Jim Preston



Tom Ervin wrote:
> You guys who got to do some music in basic....wow.
> 
> I got drafted in 1966, and there was this war on.  No openings in any  
> of the better bands, no projected vacancies.
> I was able to scramble an audition and get a MOS of a trombone  
> player, by enlisting for another year, in the Army.
> 
> But boot camp was at Fort Ord.  Seems there was a meningitis outbreak  
> at Fort Ord, so each training company was quarantined from all  
> others, no mixing.
> No liberty at all for the 10 weeks I was there. No passes, no leaves,  
> none. No band, either.  No male chorus, either. We marched to the PX  
> separately, company by company. Haircuts also.
> 
> All Boot Camp, All The Time.
> No alcohol at all. No bands. No practicing, no instruments. No piano,  
> even. No pool halls, no kicking back, like ever. Rugged.
> 
> My CO was just back from Viet Nam and was all into us becoming  
> soldiers. He was REALLY annoyed that I wasn't headed for Nam like  
> most of the lads, and he was FURIOUS that I was going to Norfolk.
> 
> We survived it.  Well, I did anyway.
> 
> Tom Ervin
> ervint at u.arizona.edu
> Prof of Trombone, Univ Arizona (Emeritus)
> ...now a recovering trombone player.... ; >}
> (520)241-4411 (cell)
> website:     tom-ervin.com
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Trombone-l mailing list
> Trombone-l at samford.edu
> http://maillists.samford.edu/mailman/listinfo/trombone-l
>