What a year 2011 is turning out to be. Coming off our appearance on the Sing Off, Groove For Thought continues to keep this train rolling with no end in sight. We have performed around the Pacific Northwest, shared the stage with On The Rocks (our Sing Off friends), and are currently working hard in the studio on our sophomore CD. In May we are heading down to Las Vegas to open for Jay Leno at the Mirage Hotel and Casino (actually the rest of GFT is unaware that I am opening for Leno with my own standup routine. It will be our little secret.)We also recently found out we were nominated for an A Cappella Community Award from CASA for "Favorite Jazz Group." CASA members, please vote for us before May 15th; we would appreciate your support. Enough about GFT. If I may, I am going to be selfish and talk about myself for a bit. I know you won’t mind, right?
You may or may not know that I am currently in school to pursue a degree in Music Education. Come this fall, I will be attending Central Washington University to obtain my Music Education degree, which I am very excited about. However, it has not always been easy.
Lets go back in time to the summer of 2009 ( cue the Wayne’s World teleportation sound effect) to where my academic journey begins.
At the time I had a warehouse job, making some good money, yet all the while never feeling fulfilled. After GFT spent two weeks in Europe working with some of the top vocal groups over there, it finally dawned on me what I wanted to do with my life. I was tired of working odd jobs and wanted to return to school to fill the void in my life that had been plaguing me for over a decade. When I say odd jobs, I mean it; from a delivery driver for a party supply store to working with nuclear pharmaceuticals, which wasn’t a bad gig aside from the daily dose of RADIATION. It was time for me to return to school.
After talking with my wife Autumn, who could not have been happier for me, I decided to enroll again at Tacoma Community College to obtain my Associate of Arts and Sciences degree. I started during the Winter quarter and immediately felt out of place. What was I thinking? Here I am in my mid-30s going back to school. I would be in classes with students who are half my age. I certainly did not want to be lumped into the “non-traditional student” category. On my first day back, I saw a woman who was old enough to be my grandmother. As I watched her push her walker with a book bag on her back, I knew I was going to be just fine.
I tried college right after High School but was not mentally prepared. After all, I just graduated and my brain was done with school. This time around was going to be different. I had more experience in life than these “traditional” students and used that to my advantage. I had a plan and knew what to do to make sure I was the best student I could be.
Now back to the present. I am in my final quarter at Tacoma Community College and I will have my degree in a few weeks. As I mentioned earlier, I am off to CWU this fall to keep my own train rolling. It has been a lot of work juggling school, GFT, as well as being a father
and husband, but I would not want it any other way.
James,
GFT
