Randy says...
I love music. It's been my constant companion from an early age. Growing up, I would listen to pop radio and the singer/songwriters of the day like James Taylor, Bill Withers and Paul Simon. I loved that music that was personal to the writers could also be personal for me as well. For some, the lyrics are important. For me, it was the sound and shape of the voice singing the words and melodies. Melodies and sounds. That's how I began my relationship with music. Soon, I found rhythm and groove, and that was an equally important event. The feeling of a recording coming over the radio in my room transported me to a new dimension. Tower Of Power, Marvin Gaye, Issac Hayes and so many more entranced me with the power of the groove..
I began playing trombone in 4th grade after a music apptitude test that went something like this... "Okay, who can hear it when I chainsaw this chair into pieces? Okay, those of you who raised your hands can be in the band." I couldn't play the trombone at first, much less carry it home from school in it's big-ass case. But I stuck with it. In junior high it became fun. We got to play songs that were on the radio from artists like Santana, Issac Hayes, Chicago, The Carpenters. Music was being made, and I was a part of it. I went to The High School Of Performing Arts in Manhattan and was awestruck at just how good the players were.
Mindblowing! I went to The Manhattan School Of Music and again was blown away by just how good these people were. It never got me down, but inspired me to work as hard as I could to be as good as I could... Okay, it got me down sometimes...
I graduated without honors and began to work in and around NYC in any bands that would have me. Latin, Haitian, Jewish, Italian, rock, jazz, r&b, big bands, bar bands and brass quintets all taught me things I needed to know. From how to get your lips through a 6 hour gig, to not falling asleep on the 6 train at 5AM with your horn in your lap. Over time, I began to sub at The Ringling Bros. Circus, Ice Capades, and in bands like The Mel Lewis Orchestra, Ed Palermo's great band and Swing Fever. I started to sub on jingles, recording sessions and Broadway shows. I toured with Blood, Sweat & Tears, They Might Be Giants and Mexican pop star Emmanuel. People were very kind to me and I was fortunate that I had a lot of on-the-job training that enabled me to learn while I earned. It always seemed that I would be on these gigs that I had no business being on, but somehow, I was always given the chance to swim instead of sink. Like I said, people were very kind and supportive to me. Now here I am today, and I still love music for the way it can transport me to a beautifully special place. That either speaks to the power of music or just how lucky I really am...