It's been almost a year...

It's been almost a year since my father died (June 8, 2005) and I'm still not used to it. I was talking about this with my cousin Todd shortly after Dad's and he shared his experience of losing someone very close to him. He said something like "The pain does not go away, it just becomes part of who you are." That has certainly been my experience as well. I'm not angry about it and I don't mope around, but I certainly miss him. Here is a letter that I wrote to him the night after he died.

A Letter to My Father

Dear Dad,

It’s late and it’s hard to say goodbye. I wonder what I will miss most about you.

A Saturday phone call to find out how to fix the fan
…or the sink
…or the toilet
…or the lawnmower
Can you fix the ache in my heart right now?

I will miss… working together on Adelman’s lawn,
painting houses together,
putting in a driveway,
shingling someone’s roof

I loved to work with you. I love to work because I learned that from you.

I will miss… playing sports with you and talking about the Red Sox
the fact that you really wanted to know about the weather
fishing with you (or at least talking about it)
the way you always looked for a bargain

I will miss… the sure sound of your trombone
your love of music
playing songs with you

It is an honor and a privilege to follow in your footsteps.

I will miss… your daily display of courage in facing hardship
your deep and abiding faith in Jesus Christ
your tender heart that was so easily bruised
your example of faithful care and provision
for Mom
for your parents,
for your children,
for your extended family,
for your tenants (your own personal welfare system),
for your neighbors – in other words for everyone you met.

I will miss you. You have always been my hero. I learned to be a man from you – not from Rudyard Kipling, not from a thousand sermons or from ten thousand books. I learned it from you.

This is a picture of the band at The Vic, a jazz nightclub in Santa Monica. Elsa and I were joined by my brother Gary, who came clubbing with us for one night on a break from a conference in northern LA. 

The American Idol folks were also on the USC campus for the Music in the Schools day. Please notice Randy standing right in front of the Mercedes SUV. 

This is a Bentley that was parked (in two spaced as you can see) at USC. I posted this because Will and Michael really like nice cars and this is as close as I'll ever get to a Bentley. 

This is the Jazz Ensemble getting ready to play at the Music in the Schools day at USC on Monday afternoon, February 13. 

This is the recording booth at Capitol Records. It was quite impressive. There was room for about 5 spectators, so we had to leave after about 25 minutes when our turn was up (there were lots of parents who wanted to see what was going on). 

Here is my lovely bride waiting to be discovered at the corner of Hollywood and Vine.

This picture was taken at Spaghettini's - a wonderful restaurant that had a remarkable brunch. The Gibson/Baldwin GRAMMY jazz ensemble, combo and jazz choir all played there on Sunday February 12. Their performances were broadcast live over a local jazz station. I highly recommend the Jazz Brunch if you're in Seal Beach, CA, on a Sunday. I have a wonderful movie of Tim playing a solo with the band. I'm still trying to figure out how to post it to this blog. 

Here is a picture of Clint Eastwood's signature at Graumann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Elsa and I went there on Saturday, February 11, after visting Capitol Records to see Tim's band recording. 

This is Tim on a break at Captiol Records. When the band was playing he was in the shadows and all I could get was the back of his head. 

On Saturday, February 4, Tim's band recorded 4 tunes at Capitol Records. This is a picture of Elsa at Capitol Records. 

Paul was there too. 

This is a picture of Oscar Peterson leaving the Music Box in Hollywood. The highlight of the evening was a jazz exchange between Oscar and the pianist from the Jazz Ensemble. There is Tim in the background. 

The three pianists are in the front of this image taken at the Music Box Theatre. This one is kind of dark, but if you look real hard (you'll have to click on the image to enlarge it), you can see Tim smiling in the next to the back row of the band. 

This is an image from inside the Music Box Theatre. The Edison style phonograph is the symbol of the GRAMMYS. 

On Friday night, the Gibson/Baldwin GRAMMY Jazz Ensemble, Combo and Jazz Choir performed at the GRAMMY Salute to Jazz at the Music Box in Hollywood. They played backup to three jazz pianists who were honored: Barry Harris, Hank Jones and Oscar Peterson. 

Will running the 2-mile

This is a little video clip of William running the 2 mile race for Gates-Chile Indoor Track. His time was 11:10, which was a personal best. He needs to cut 3 more seconds off his time to make it to regionals. 

Itinerary for Tim's Trip

More News on Tim

This article appeared on pages 1 and 3 of the Gates Chili Central School District January/February 2006 newsletter. Just click on the images to enlarge and read them.

Article from the Local Newspaper

This article about Tim is part of the "Day in the Life" series that the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle runs every Sunday about the towns and villages surrounding Rochester.

Trombonist slides into success

Teen will play at Grammy Awards

Jeffrey Blackwell
Staff writer

(January 22, 2006) — There's something cool about a kid who loves the swing of jazz so much that he will practice it day and night until his parents tell him to quit because his sister is trying to sleep.

And there is something reassuring about a teenager who picks a trombone — not the iest ax in the band — above other instruments and enjoys making it sing and sway to a bluesy tempo or bounce to a John Philip Sousa march.

But cool or not, swing or march makes no difference to 17-year-old Tim Craig. He just loves the sound of a trombone, especially when he's at the mouthpiece of the family trombone and playing jazz.

"My grandfather had it and my dad had it, and now I have it," says Craig, a senior at Gates Chili High School.

"That trombone has more meaningful history to me that any other horn."

Next month, Craig will add a chapter to the family trombone's history when he performs with a youth jazz ensemble at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

He was picked to play lead trombone with 29 high school jazz musicians from across the country.

They're scheduled to perform as a prelude to the televised Grammy ceremonies Feb. 8 and at several events during the week.

For Craig, this is where the countless hours of practice and his love of music pay off.

He will play with some of the most talented young musicians in the country in front of an audience packed with the biggest names in the music business.

He will record a CD with the ensemble at Capitol Recording Studios, and might meet Tony Bennett and Sting while doing it.

And if that were not enough, he will get a seat at the Grammys and perhaps an opportunity to wonder whether he will ever be back up on stage to collect a statue.

"I can't think that far in the future," Craig says.

"I don't see that happening, but I also didn't see this in my future."

But when he thinks of the years to come, he does see a future in music.

Craig sees a career in teaching music, playing his trombone on the side.

Or maybe it will be the other way around.

He wants to attend the Eastman School of Music in the fall, and is auditioning for the school.

The teenager already has choice kindling for a successful music career.

He plays in several bands at the high school and is a member of the Eastman Youth Jazz Ensemble and the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.

Gates Chili High School band teacher Paul Maginn says Craig has been selected to all-county and all-state concert and jazz bands since middle school. Selection to the Grammy Jazz Ensemble places Craig in a national light, he says.

"This selection shows that he is one of the top trombone players in the country," Maginn says.

"There is no doubt about it."

Craig exemplifies how it takes more than raw talent to be a successful musician.

He practices between two and four hours a day.

That's in addition to the time he spends at school and doing homework.

He also is a student of music, especially jazz.

A conversation with him about jazz starts with his influences; they include J.J. Johnson, Robin Eubanks, Chris Potter, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. He refers to them as "cats."

There's also his father, Paul Craig, who plays in a local Dixieland band, and his grandfather, Harley Craig, who died in June. They were his first influences.

Craig's parents are very proud of their son's dedication to music.

"It is his passion," says his mother, Elsa Craig. "I think he lives to play trombone."

When it comes down to it, Craig says it's the sound of the horn that he has grown to love.

"You can do the most with it," Craig says.

"It's the closest thing to the human voice because of the slide and its ability to bend pitches, swooping in and going down."

JBLACKWELL@DemocratandChronicle.com