By Dan White – Special to the Sydenham Current
The “arts” muscles tend to transcend one discipline.
Some time ago I was chatting with three friends from university. Terry McConnell and James Galbraith were a year ahead of myself and David Geene. All four of us were tuba players. We were very close throughout our postsecondary years and remain so to this day. There are several ridiculous stories of our collective antics in school but that is for another column… and another audience. All of us went on to teach music. The more interesting thing, for me at least, is that all four of us got involved in theatre as well.
Those of you who are athletes, or follow sports closely, are undoubtedly aware of many gifted athletes that star in one sport but show(ed) prowess in one or more others. Patrick Mahomes comes to mind as we approach the Super Bowl. He is about to play in his fifth championship.
Mahomes played football, basketball and baseball in high school at a very high level, pitching a no-hitter in his senior year. He narrowed his sports down to football and baseball in college. As the son of a former Major League Baseball pitcher, I’m sure it was assumed he would follow that path when he displayed talent in the sport. However, he chose to play professional football. He has won 3 Super Bowls, so I think that choice has worked out for him. (Digression – I want to say Go Eagles, but I just can’t. I would have cheered on either Buffalo or Detroit.)
That same ability across disciplines is what intrigued me about my tuba friends, and several other artists I have met along the way. Many readers may recall Terry McConnell from his three decades teaching in Blenheim, playing with the Chatham Concert Band, singing at functions in the area and generally being involved in the arts.
At Western, Terry was a very good musician, singing and playing tuba. That trait was evident in his career as both a performer and a teacher.
Terry is now arranging music; he has done several charts for ensembles I am involved with, and he does a great job. Since his retirement, he has taken acting classes and has an agent, has sold his photographs and even dabbles in drawing. While Terry still regularly plays tuba, euphonium or trombone, he has successfully branched out or perhaps is fulfilled in pursuit of other arts as well.
James, or Hound as we referred to him in school, played, sang and taught in Grand Prairie, Alberta for 3 decades after graduating. Hound played in the Grand Prairie Community Wind Ensemble and the Community Orchestra for many years, he also played in a brass quintet. During that time, he also became very involved in musicals there. He has had roles in shows for most of the past 30 seasons.
In addition, Hound paints. He restores old garden ornaments, most often gnomes etc., to their original glory. I have seen pictures of his work, and he is quite skilled.
James noted that all these artistic ventures give him a deep sense of satisfaction. Yes, the musicals get him through the long dark winter of Northern Alberta, but they also introduce him to new friends, extend his creative skills and leave him with a sense of fulfillment.
Dave Geene was my classmate and a far better musician than I. He could pick up any instrument and play it well in short order. He had a beautiful bass voice and sang in several choirs and performed in the Western Gilbert and Sullivan Society shows while in school.
Dave rose through the teaching ranks, becoming a principal and then he was seconded to the Ministry of Education where he was an Education Officer – whatever that is.
Dave sold his tuba long ago. He no longer had the drive, nor the time to sustain playing it. Until recently, he continued to sing in Peterborough, where he resides. But when he found age was minimizing his ability to perform at the level he was accustomed to, he left that behind as well.
Dave is involved in community theatre in Peterborough, whether on stage in plays or designing and building sets, a creative outlet he has explored for many years.
While painting was always an interest, he “was never really able to focus on it consistently, was never able to get [his] work to a level that was pleasing to [himself] or pleasing to anyone beyond family and friends.” Most recently he has taken a deep dive into painting, and it has been fun watching his evolution as a visual artist. He has attended many workshops since retiring and, in a relatively short period of time, he is now showing at galleries and selling his works. As Dave says, “I am at a point where an art practice is part of my life, where I am confident enough in my work that I can be in shows, where people actually want to buy my work, and where I feel like I am finding my own artistic practice as a painter.”
The four of us have been involved in music, theatre and other art forms through our lives. Music was the conduit to arts for most of us, but that has led to other ventures in various arts. For me the most fascinating commonality has been the depth of involvement in theatre by all of us. I have often wondered what a show with the four of us would be like.
I believe that, like many athletes, artistic ability is not confined to one art. While honing skills is always necessary to become excellent, the instincts and skills transfer making that effort worthwhile. More importantly, it is a fundamental part of who artists are and the desire to create tends to permeate our lives and sustain us.
A reminder that the Valentine’s Whodunit Dinner theatre tickets are still available.
Feb 14 at the Kinsmen Hall for dinner and a show.
Call Joni at 519-627-4602 to reserve your spot.
Ticket sales end Feb. 13.
