| |
 |
 |
 |
| _ |
 
David Dick is California native, born in Belvedere (Marin County), and raised in Terra Linda, San Francisco, and Oroville. In fifth grade he started playing the trumpet in the Dixie School District in Terra Linda. Around 1965, Dave Brubeck had a hit on the radio called "Take Five" that featured saxophonist Paul Desmond. "That song stuck in my mind. Paul Desmond's alto sound was so pure and cool- I knew I wanted to play like that." In 1970, David got a tenor saxophone as a Christmas present. "It was off to the races - taking lesson, practicing a lot, learning solos, playing in bands at school and outside of school - it was great. My first sax teacher was outstanding. He had a large record collection, and sometimes we would sit and listen to music for part of the lesson. He encouraged me and pointed me in the right direction."
After two years of college at UC Davis, David decided to become a working musician. That meant rehearsing and traveling with bands and supplementing his income with other jobs. In 1980, he enrolled at CSU Chico as a Music Education Major. The band director and music education teacher at that time was Daniel Hiestand. "Dan was the finest rehearsal technician I've ever seen. Every piece we did was definitive. I just took it for granted that all college bands sounded as good. They don't. I thank my lucky stars to have such a great teacher and human being." At college, David received scholarships for his work with the jazz band and the orchestra. "College gave me the opportunity to study other instruments, like oboe and clarinet, so that I could become a woodwind major. I got the experience playing in a wide array of groups, and I earned money on the side by playing jazz."
After graduating with a B.A. in Music and a graduate degree in education in 1984, he started teaching, first in Linden, California. The next year, he accepted the music position at Placer High School in Auburn. David and his wife Mary moved to Rocklin, and he spent eight years at the school. Finally, in 1993, Rocklin High School was completed, and he has been here ever since.
|
_ |
|
