Flashback Friday

I love these Flashback Fridays; they are my way of keeping our family history, something I'm not that great at in other ways.  So, humor me as I post another flashback!

So, did you know that Gerald is a drummer?  He started refining his rhythm skills before Jr. High.  He was so anxious to play in the high school drum line that his older brother and sisters pulled some strings and he played the cymbals in the drum line in all the parades the summer before his 8th grade year.During his 8th grade year he borrowed some music from one of his sister's friends and practiced on bar stools that he set up in his basement to learn how to play the quads.  He auditioned and played the quads starting the summer before his 9th grade year and through the next three years in high school.  He played bass drum his last year in his high school marching band.  He also played the drum set for the high school jazz band his junior and senior years.

Gotta love this picture!  By the way, his very favorite percussion instrument to play is the timpani.  

At college, he auditioned for the BYU marching band and got to play the 4th largest bass drum for the football season before his mission and then the largest bass drum for two years after he returned from his mission.  

But one of his favorite drumming experiences was for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake.  He was in the Olympic Band, and played the biggest bass drum (his specialty)!  We were newlyweds when he participated in this, and I remember how excited he was to be in the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as perform at various venues throughout the Olympics.  This was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we will always remember!