What Music Means

Music has always been an integral part of my life. I sing and I play the flute. I grew up in a family where my step-father was a jazz pianist and my mom sang. It was known as the Ronnie Lord Trio, featuring Patti Ann. They played for years at the Bangor House, which is now a housing complex on the corner of Main and Union streets in Bangor. The Bar Harbor Motor Inn was a regular "gig" for my parents, as was the Samoset Resort in Rockland.

Some of my fondest memories growing up were that of my brother playing piano in the "front room" of our home. He would play and sing songs like, "Black Water" by the Doobie Brothers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqZ95a249p0 . I would sing the harmony line.

Years ago it was very popular to have a "garage band" and my brothers' garage band (he's six years older than me by the way) was a real treat for me growing up. Even today one of my brothers garage band members is now working locally at a music store and is a talented musician and sound man.

Most of all, I remember the day my grandmother took me to a Boston Pops concert that was held, when I was young, at the Bangor auditorium. My grandmother grabbed my hand at intermission and pushed past body guards telling them she had waited on the Conductor, Arthur Fiddler, when he visited a Boston candy store to get chocolates for his wife.  When she reminded him of his weekly purchase, his eyes sparkled in fond memory.   My grandmother was the store clerk at that time. I met Arthur Fiedler backstage thanks to my grandmother's grit. When he grasped my hand he squeezed it between both of his, and in a frail voice said, "never stop playing."  I have not stopped playing, but I have not practiced nearly enough to keep my embouchure tight and fingers limber, the way they should be!

I do still sing however and have had the honor of singing now for the past two years for the Survivors Ceremony at the Komen Maine Race for the Cure, held on the Bangor Waterfront in September.  An audience of several thousand people tends to keep you on your toes, musically speaking!  I also had the wonderful pleasure of singing as studio talent for a NESCom Audio Engineering students' final studio album project.

I'd love to get an ACapella group started at NESCom...anyone interested?

By Susan Patten