Steve Carr
I was at GHS.. 64 through 66. I was one of those people that sang for Mr Troutwein that had no talent.. however.. i could sing on key! My senior year i sang in mixed chorus, touring choir and A Cappela.
After 2 years in college (where i also sang in Choir) i joined the US Navy. Me and Terry Pierceall went in on the "buddy plan"... which meant we would go through boot camp together. Terry had this booming voice. He sang every year he was in high school for Mr Troutwein!!
Terry auditioned for the navy blue jacket choir and... with all that talent.. was welcomed into one of the boot camp music companies.
I, on the other hand, didn't think i had the talent to join so i elected to stay in a regular boot camp company. Well..... after a few days it dawned on me that life in a music company was going to be much easier than a "regular" company so i decided to see if i could join the blue jacket choir...... one problem though... i had missed the auditions!
I was lucky enough to get an appointment with the choral director to plead my case. He asked me the normal questions about my experience and i told him i sang in high school my senior year... mixed chorus... touring choir... and A Cappela... then in my college choir for 2 years. In between yawns he asked the name of my choral directors in high school and college I told him in high school i sang for George Troutwein and in college.... he stopped me right there... had me sing a few bars (to see if i could sing on key) and told me i was IN!!!
He said he knew George Troutwein... and while he didn't outright tell me... he let me in the US Navy Blue Jacket Choir because he knew if i had sang for Mr Troutwein (mixed chorus. touring choir, A Cappela choir) the Blue Jacket Choir could use me!!! I will always believe (know) that had it not been for Mr Troutwein's influence I would have spent boot camp in a regular company.
You know..... i can't remember the name of the blue jacket choir director... or my college choir director... But i will never forget the name.. George Troutwein!
While i was in high school i never realized how "great" the man was. Only over the years as i saw what he had done... how many people he had helped... how many people that dearly loved him.... did i come to know what a special person he was. What a fortunate man he was... to have lived the life he did. He helped so many realize their potential. He helped me... and didn't even know it!!
Jenny Levy comment: When I auditioned for Freshman Singers in college, the director asked me to sing a warmup. I sand "Where shall I hit him today?" and he looked at me and said "who was your teacher?" I said "George Trautwein". He smiled at me, asked me to sing "My Country 'tis Of Thee" and that was that. Turned out they'd been in school together...
I was at GHS.. 64 through 66. I was one of those people that sang for Mr Troutwein that had no talent.. however.. i could sing on key! My senior year i sang in mixed chorus, touring choir and A Cappela.
After 2 years in college (where i also sang in Choir) i joined the US Navy. Me and Terry Pierceall went in on the "buddy plan"... which meant we would go through boot camp together. Terry had this booming voice. He sang every year he was in high school for Mr Troutwein!!
Terry auditioned for the navy blue jacket choir and... with all that talent.. was welcomed into one of the boot camp music companies.
I, on the other hand, didn't think i had the talent to join so i elected to stay in a regular boot camp company. Well..... after a few days it dawned on me that life in a music company was going to be much easier than a "regular" company so i decided to see if i could join the blue jacket choir...... one problem though... i had missed the auditions!
I was lucky enough to get an appointment with the choral director to plead my case. He asked me the normal questions about my experience and i told him i sang in high school my senior year... mixed chorus... touring choir... and A Cappela... then in my college choir for 2 years. In between yawns he asked the name of my choral directors in high school and college I told him in high school i sang for George Troutwein and in college.... he stopped me right there... had me sing a few bars (to see if i could sing on key) and told me i was IN!!!
He said he knew George Troutwein... and while he didn't outright tell me... he let me in the US Navy Blue Jacket Choir because he knew if i had sang for Mr Troutwein (mixed chorus. touring choir, A Cappela choir) the Blue Jacket Choir could use me!!! I will always believe (know) that had it not been for Mr Troutwein's influence I would have spent boot camp in a regular company.
You know..... i can't remember the name of the blue jacket choir director... or my college choir director... But i will never forget the name.. George Troutwein!
While i was in high school i never realized how "great" the man was. Only over the years as i saw what he had done... how many people he had helped... how many people that dearly loved him.... did i come to know what a special person he was. What a fortunate man he was... to have lived the life he did. He helped so many realize their potential. He helped me... and didn't even know it!!
Jenny Levy comment: When I auditioned for Freshman Singers in college, the director asked me to sing a warmup. I sand "Where shall I hit him today?" and he looked at me and said "who was your teacher?" I said "George Trautwein". He smiled at me, asked me to sing "My Country 'tis Of Thee" and that was that. Turned out they'd been in school together...
