Transcripts of Alex(Brett's3rdNarrative)



[ Interviewer ] K. Would you please introduce yourself? Hello. I'm Alex Bowers. I am a sixth year senior here at The Ohio State University graduating next quarter. And then after that I'm actually joining the Navy. Pretty excited about that. 

[ Interviewer ] So would you please tell us about your first musical experience? My first musical experience was probably *clears throat* the first thing I can remember was the typical kindergarten Christmas concerts but I don't even know how much that pertains to this interview. 

[ Interview ] How much well how much about them do you remember? Not a whole lot. My *chortles* my dad recorded them, all the concerts, so I can remember from that. But I *clears throat* I did take piano lessons when I uhhh was maybe  six or seven years old. And I took lessons but I just, I was so young I didn't really uhh I didn't really, what's the best way to describe it uhh, keep with it or uhh 

[ Interviewer ] How long did you do it for? Uh I played the piano and took lessons up until I about fifth grade when I, about sixth grade. But fifth grade was when I started to uh play my trumpet and that's where I uh really started to get in, really serious with my music. Er really in-depth with my music background, so history *sniffs*. 

[ Interviewer ] Why did you choose the trumpet in the first place? Oh well my brother he played the, he was the older brother, he played the trombone. I uh I didn't realize but I guess I wanted to stay in the brass family. And uh so yeah I played, I tried out at the clarinet. And uh I thought the reed, the reed instruments were just were just, they weren't goofy they just were a little foreign to me. So I thought I'd stick with the the mouthpiece instrument like a buzzing mouthpiece instrument. So I did that. And then- 

[ Interviewer ] Did your parents uh play any instruments? No. No uh well my dad, he played guitar. as a side thing. But it was never that was it. 

[ Interviewer ] Alright. So what were your first *clears throat* what were your band classes like? *coughs* 

[ Interviewer ] Like the very first ones. Fifth grade. Let's see. They were... They were okay. I don't really remember a whole lot about them. We played some fun music. Um. I had really good teachers, band directors. We had um well back in fifth grade when I first started *clears throat* uh it it was more like an extra-curricular activity. And uh it was just before school started in the mornings. And then we had concerts you know like a s- s-winter or mid-winter and spring concert just for fifth grade. But once I got to middle-school I uh I actually had like a set schedule with band. And um that's yeah. But they were fun. 

[ Interviewer ] Did you do uh marching band when you were in high school? Yes I did. All four years. That was, high school I would say is when I REALLY got super serious into my musical history because *clears throat* uh I started to take private, private trumpet lessons with the retired co-principle chair of the Cleveland Orchestra. So that was, he knew his stuff and he taught really well to me. So I, I uh really grew during my high school years with my trumpet playing. 

[ Interviewer ] How often would you go and have lessons for? It was like every other week. Two, once every two weeks. Pretty expensive to have as a private guy, but he was well worth it. And um, yeah. 

[ Interviewer ] And then I, did you keep up with your music after high school? Yes I did. Um the reason why I decided to go to The Ohio State University was cuz I wanted to be in the marching band here. And I worked my butt off the summer right before my freshman year. Coming, driving down from Cleveland to Columbus and back every Tuesday and Thursday for the Summer Sessions. And all that gas money but it payed off. I made it as a freshman which is really a rare thing these days. And I made it into one of the top, top trumpet squads. I'm really happy with that. So yeah definitely, definitely worth it. 

[ Interviewer ] And how long did you do that for? I did the marching band here for five years I did the marching band here for five years. And they were probably the best ones of my life so far. So yeah, music's... Because of my musical history uh probably starting in eighth grade, freshman year in high school, were probably the best years of my life so. 

[ Interviewer ] Alright. Thank you very much. No problem. See ya! *snickers*