Hobbies

Playing Music

Ever since I was thirteen years old, playing the tuba has been a very important part of my life. I had played the trumpet for a year, but it just wasn't doing too much for me, so I asked my junior high band director how you played "that thing hanging on the wall." The next thing my mom knows, I'm getting off of the school bus with a sousaphone that had seen better days (like around 50 years ago). The rest is history.

I played throughout high school, making several honor bands (including four years in the Mississippi Lions All-State Band). I owe countless thanks to my private teacher, Mr. Don Cameron. The world lost an incredible man when he died in 1993. Without him, I never would have developed and refined my talents and gotten as far as I did.

Upon graduating high school I continued my studies at Mississippi State University, where I played in the Famous Maroon Marching Band, the symphonic band, the wind ensemble, the brass quintet, the orchestra, and the basketball pep band. Playing in these groups gave me the opportunity to see many football and basketball games, a couple of bowl games, and the NCAA Final Four tournament in 1996.

I currently perform with the Columbia Community Concert Band, a group of approximately 80 amateur musicians that performs around seven concerts a year. I also play with a 15-member traditional German band called Die Lustigen Musikanten (The Happy Musicians), The Original Five Points Wild Irish Band, a fun concert/marching/whatever band (see my photos from our recent trip to Ireland), and a USC staff brass quartet.

I play a Cerveny 5-valve CC tuba with a Perantucci PT-24+ mouthpiece. Here is a photo of me practicting at home.

Listening to Music

My favorite group of all time is U2. I discovered them in 1989 when a friend of mine had a tape of The Joshua Tree in his car. He didn't have it because he liked the music, but rather because "With or Without You" had a strong bass line that sounded really good on his car stereo. I saw beyond the booming and realized the the music was really good. I became a bit disappointed and lost interest in them around the Zooropa and Pop phases (although I continued to be a huge fan of their earlier work), but when they released All That You Can't Leave Behind, I was very excited to see that the U2 that I knew and loved was back. I saw their Elevation tour concert in Charlotte, NC, and was blown away; it was awesome.

Other musicians and bands that I really like are 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant, Metallica, Pink Floyd, Godsmack, Jane's Addiction, Alison Krauss, and Nickel Creek. I also listen to a great deal of classical music. A band I recently stumbled upon that I'm totally in love with is Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Their music is an ambient mixture of guitars, drums, and strings that is quite unlike anything else I've heard. I highly recommend checking them out.

Drum and Bugle Corps

I am a huge fan of Drum Corps International (DCI). I try to attend two or three events a year, and I was fortunate enough to attend the 2000 finals in College Park, Maryland. My favorite corps are The Santa Clara Vanguard and The Madison Scouts.

Reading

I spend a good deal of my spare time reading. My favorite author is Stephen King. I have read 31 of his novels, and I own most of them, many in hardcover. My favorite book is not by him, however; it is The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I'm not sure what it is about the book that explains my seven readings and countless future readings of it. I also enjoy the works of John Grisham (fellow Mississippi State alum) and Caleb Carr. As far as nonfiction books, I enjoy books dealing with mathematics, physics, and investing. Click here to see a list of books I'm currently reading or have recently read. I also enjoy a few magazines, including "PC World", "Newsweek", and "Real Simple", which is technically a women's magazine, but I'm secure enough to admit that I read it! :-) I actually get a lot of good tips from it.

Motorcycles

This is my newest hobby, began in April 2003, when I bought a Kawasaki Ninja 250R (pictures). I've always thought motorcycles were pretty neat, but I was never interested in actually riding one myself until recently. I started by reading books and magazines and talking to a friend of mine who is into biking. I also got a lot of good information from two web discussion boards: The Ninja 250 Riders Club and Beginner Bikes New Rider Forum (no longer active). I then took a beginner rider course offered by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. This course proved to me that I actually could ride a bike and that I thoroughly loved doing it! Within two weeks of my class, I'd bought my Ninja. From what I had been reading in the web communities, the Ninja 250 is a great bike for anyone, and especially for beginning riders. I love the sport bike style, but many sport bikes on the road today are tremendous powerhouses that can be quite dangerous in anyone's hands, but especially those of a beginner. They just have too much power for the streets; they belong on a racetrack. They also tend to be uncomfortable to ride because of the aggresive seating posture. The Ninja 250 is a good compromise. It has the sport bike style, but it has a more upright sitting position than other sport bikes, so it is more comfortable, and the smaller engine makes it safer, less expensive to buy, less expensive to insure, and more fuel efficient. I have no regrets in my decision; I've accumulated 36,000 miles in just over two years, and I have no plans of parting with it anytime soon. (So take that, Mr. Salesman who told me I'd be bored with it in no time!) The 250 may be small compared to a lot of bikes on the road today, but it will still go quite fast (it'll easily go beyond 100 mph) and accelerate quite rapidly (0-60 in 4.8 seconds). An added bonus that many seasoned riders like is how nimble the bike is. It can do things bigger bikes can only dream about. Take a look at my Maintenance Log.

Volunteering

I volunteer one or two nights a week at the Ronald McDonald House of Columbia.