I grew up in a very small town, Mead, that had eight streets, a sugar beet dump and a co-op. I lived there
and schooled through the ninth grade (remember the term Jr. High?).
I attended high school in Longmont at Skyline.
Thanks to discipline from Charles Harper (miss you often), my Jr. High band director, I was able to embrace the trumpet
with passion and continued my musical education under my high school instructor, Bill Wilkinson.
Colorado State University (miss you Otto) gave me some monies to pursue music and I took part in the marching band and
various jazz ensembles and combos.
Then, their money and my money ran out......
(enter) a newfound career selling groceries. Thanks to making a new friend at a college party, I got a job bagging
grocies at Albertsons in Ft. Collins. I was so poor, my goal was to be able to have lunch with 'the fellas' at Subway.
I think it took a few months before I could spring for a $4 sandwich. About 5 months into the gig, my store director
called me to his office. He asked how serious I was about college and wanted to know if I was interested in his wage
that could be acquired (through Albertsons) without a college degree. Duh, sure I want to know. He showed me a
stub, after Q3 and his latest bonus, for $85K and had a whole quarter to continue. Guess who abandoned the college route???
