A Real First Day of Spring

 

Photo by Gianfranco

It has been a cold and rainy Spring this year.  In March and April, we had four days in which the temperature was at least 70 and for three of those days it rained.

Thursday, April 21^st, was beautiful.  It was a Thursday, a day when I am on campus from early morning until I about 3 pm.  It was sunny, the daffodils all around campus were fully bloomed, and the everyone was out and about enjoying the day.  It is the kind of first day of Spring you live for in the Midwest.  One is never sure if it going to be in a globally warming February or, more likely, in March or April.

My professor buddy, Gianfranco Farrugia and I, decided to get out of the office and enjoy the weather.  We decided to take a walk, smoke a cigar, and wax eloquent about life and our noble profession.  We stepped out of offices and lit up our cigars.  We realized just how beautiful it was outside.  We began our walk in the direction of what sounded like live jazz music.

We did not have to walk far.  In a student house less than a half-block from our office, students had set up a few amps, microphones, and a drum set and were playing perfect music for such a day.  We stopped to listen, and never left.  We, leaning on the fence, took in the very good and most entertaining music, puffed on our cigars, and enjoyed the day. 

Other students on their way to or from class or on their way to baseball or tennis practice all stopped and enjoyed the music.  I knew many of the students passing by, but I didn’t know the musicians as none of them were business majors.  Luckily, another student, Christian Morey hanging out with the backyard musicians, told me who they were:

• Seamus Smith – drums  
• Brian Chindblom – lead guitarist and singer
• Caleb Borwon – bass and singer
• Alfredo Martinez – trombone 

One student, Thomas Schmidt, walking back from class stopped and said, “Sounds great.  Should I get my sax?”  Of course, they said yes.  Thomas returned in a few minutes and joined the group making what was good and entertaining even better.

I learned Alfredo was majoring in music.  The others were in other fields but had their own band and played around town at clubs performing both covers and compositions of their own.  I loved their jazzy easy listening style.  The music was perfectly matched for this first spring day. 

It was wonderful.  While we were listening to the music, enjoying the amazing weather, and watching and greeting our students who strolled by, Gian and I talked about our own college days.  We both were raised and went to school in Midwest, we recalled those halcyon days when the school year was nearing the end and we were out and about enjoying a day just as we are doing a half-century later as these students were creating their own memories.

As a musician, as much as I have appreciated the paying gigs, some of the best memories are the impromptu sessions with my friends, where we just played for our own enjoyment and fun.  I loved that about these North Parkers were doing the same, and to quote Joni Mitchell, “playing real good for free.”