[Dixielandjazz] Bios

[Snogpitch]

I was born in 1956 in Lompoc California.

I'm not sure when, exactly, I was introduced to Dixieland music, but I do
remember a key moment that brought it to my attention.  As a kid I watched
cartoons, Droopy Dog was one of my favorites.  The name of the cartoon
episode in particular was Dixieland Droopy, in which Droopy is trying all
that he can to listen to his music, Dixieland.  I was still a young kid, not
one that could buy records yet, but this moment was the starting point for
me.

In 1972, I was in high school by this time, I got my first record player for
Christmas, and was initiated into the "record buying crowd".  When movies
such as "The Great Gatsby" and "The Sting" were released, (I was now living
in the small town of Jackson Ohio) local small town stores carried those
soundtracks. I was able to buy recordings of music that brought me back to
the early memory of Droopy and his desire to hear his music.  I found that
some of my friends also enjoyed this music, and we were delighted to see all
of the "new" recordings of 20s-30s jazz, some even redone to "disco" for us
younger crowd.

My desire for the older music lead me to search the second hand stores,
antique marts and auction sales.  Realizing that the music of that time
period was the 78rpm era, I started looking for those recordings.  A couple
Victrolas, and 2000 of those 78rpm records later I'm still enjoying the
music.

I went to college at Ohio University in Athens Ohio, and took one quarter of
piano lessons as an elective.  I would practice my lessons, but realized it
was a great expense of time I really could not afford going thru college. At
the end of the quarter I decided not to continue lessons.  The instructor
was a little bit disappointed in my decision, because she thought I had
potential, and hoped that I would continue sometime in the future.

When I graduated college, I became part of the working force to help my
"music habit".  I managed a PicWay Shoes until 1994, and since 1994 I've
worked with a national computer store, in the service department.

My current collection of music is highly eclectic.  I am still a fan of
jazz, but I'm also a fan of bluegrass, ragtime, even rock-n-roll.  This
year, I've been at the front row of live music events such as the Scott
Joplin Ragtime festival, and a month earlier Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
at Cincinnati's Jammin' on Main festival.  These might sound like polar
opposites, but I do enjoy them all much to the dismay of my fellow coworkers
and current friends.  My saying goes:  "Variety IS the VICE of life"

-- 
David Witmer

AKA Snogpitch
snogpitch at prodigy.net
ICQ: 4989342
Webpage: http://pages.prodigy.net/snogpitch/