Current Family Life

My wife and I have 9 children - 6 boys and 3 girls. Without knowing before hand, the children's birth form a pattern of 1 girl, 2 boys; 1 girl, 2 boys; and, 1 girl, 2 boys. Our children are actively engaged in good causes.
Our oldest daughter lives in North Carolina with her husband and daughter (who just turned 2). Her husband is finishing his Masters Degree in Hospital Administration. She served an LDS Mission in Berlin Germany and her husband served in Washington state.
Our second, a boy, lives in Pleasant Grove with his wife and daughter (who just turned 1). He was attending law school in Boston and was just accepted to BYU Law School.
Our third, a boy, is working. He was attending school at Salt Lake Community College until he ran out of money. Now he is working to get enough money to go back and finish his degree. He is dating a very cute and nice young lady who is in college at SLCC.
Our 4th, a girl, is married to a great young man who is in college at Weber State University. They have one daughter (who just turned 1). She is very active in many things, including her own business of photography.
Our 5th, a boy, is living in Burbank, California. He has attended two schools of acting and is working for clients of a local accounting firm. He is a great salesman. He lives with a man for whom he did work and helped remodel his home. This man has treated our son very well and is like my older brother.
Our 6th, a boy, is living at home and working. He is getting ready to go on a full time LDS Mission. He is a good musician and likes to write songs.
Our 7th, a girl, just graduated from Bountiful High School, is looking for work and helps a lot around the house.
Our 8th, a boy, is a Junior at Bountiful High. And, our 9th, a boy is in the 9th grade at Bountiful Jr. High.

Marriage

My wife and I were married in 1978, 30 years ago. We are firm believers in traditional marriage. We both wanted several children. We believe marriage is God-ordained and there is an eternal reason for man and woman to be married. In marriage each party has God-given responsibilities. The man and the woman are equal partners and the main reason for marriage is to teach their children right and wrong. That is a God-given responsibility.

Family Life Before Marriage

I was born in Rupert, Idaho. I was raised in several small Idaho towns until I was 12 years old, moved to Utah until a Junior in High School. My family and I then moved to Burley, Idaho where I graduated from Burley High School
I am the oldest of 8 children born to my parents and one half sister who was born to my father and his third wife. I have 6 natural sisters, one half sister and one brother. My next-to- the-youngest sister died at 4 months of age from pneumonia. And, my youngest sister just died a little more than a year ago.
My father was a teacher and school administrator. He was actively involved in sports, earning the Golden Gloves award as a boxer in college. He taught Speech and English and coached High School football.
My mother was raised in California. She was a homemaker and very good at it. We were raised in small, farming communities and lived for a time on a small farm. She could make clothes, was a great cook and taught us to be a contributor to the family and a hard worker.

Musical Experiences

I started enjoying music when I was little. My mother used to play the piano while we would be falling asleep, when we were young. When I was in the 4th grade my mother started to teach me piano lessons. I really didn't like them, but it put me in the right direction.

I remember as my family and I traveled, when I was a teenager, my sisters would sing. They sounded good together. When I tried to chime in, they would tell me to be quiet. I was determined that I could do as well as they.

In the summer of my 6th grade year, before going into Jr. High School, I started learning to play the trumpet. I continued all through my Jr. High and High School years. When I went into High School I also became interested in vocal music.

In the early 1960's, while living in Utah, my mother was the Ward Choir Director. Our Stake music organization invited J. Spencer Cornwall, the then director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to hold a seminar on conducting and choral singing. My mother let me attend with her. In fact, I was the only boy singing and sang Soprano. He also taught us how to direct music, which was my first instructions in that area.

While in Utah, as Junior, Maestro Maurice Abravenel had just been hired by the Utah Symphony to be the conductor. He started a program known as the "Granite Youth Symphony Orchestra". I tried out and was one of four trumpet players to be accepted. It was a great learning experience, taught by top musicians and once in awhile by Maestro Abravenel. At the end of my Junior year the orchestra performed a concert, during which Maestro Abravenel conducted the main piece.

Just before my Senior year of High School, my family moved to Burley Idaho. After try outs I was accepted as a member of the high school's Concert Choir and Bel Cantos, the performing group. I also played in the band and the orchestra. Orchestra was during German language class, but the orchestra needed another French Horn Player and the Orchestra teacher made arrangements with my class teacher to let me out once in awhile so I could practice. There I learned to play the French Horn.

In band I played the trumpet to begin with. Then, the teacher moved me to Tuba/Sousaphone because there was a need. In that position I also played the Sousaphone in the school's marching band, which performed at football games, basketball games and parades. I also learned to play the Baritone.

When in Business College in Twin Falls, Idaho I was the Business College Choral Director, as well as being one of the student body leaders. Then, in the Marine Corps I was allowed to form the C&E Battallion Choral, I directed the choir for the Catholic services and I directed a recruit choir for the LDS Church on base. I also had a chance to sing at several clubs off base and played trumpet in a small band.

When I was transferred to Yokosuka, Japan in the service, I formed a musical group which performed at the base theater many times, sang and played in a band which played at various clubs on and off base, performed in a semi-professional theater group and sang in a variety of concerts. I took music theory lessons from the University of Maryland.

After serving an LDS mission, I moved back to Idaho. While I was the Public Relations Director at the St. Anthony Community Hospital, I attended school at Idaho State University. There I took vocal lessons and study choral conducting. While in Pocatello I formed a group known as Harmony Kids. We performed all over the city and surrounding areas. I also was the children's choral director for the city's production of "Oliver" and had one of the leading roles.

I moved to Layton, Utah. There I became a student at the then Weber State College. I sang in a performing choral group known as the Weber State Singers, took private voice lessons and piano lessons. I also studied music theory. While attending the college I gave voice lessons and promoted three of my students. All three had the opportunity of being the front group for professional groups which came to perform at Weber State College.

After marriage, I performed with the Jay Welch Choral, named after and directed by Jay Welch, a former director of the Tabernacle Choir. I went back to school at the University of Utah, working on a minor in Music. I attended many music classes, including theory, appreciation and conducting. I didn't have many classes left before I could have earned a Minor in Vocal Music. One of my instructors was a very famous composer and brother to one of the church's General Authorities. After leaving the UofU, and entering my final school, which didn't offer music, I sang with the Utah Symphony Chorale.

I have performed in theater productions of South Pacific, Oliver, My Fair Lady, Under the Yum Yum Tree, and Fiddler on the Roof. I have sung in Regional Choirs, church choirs and have sung many solos. When I was taking voice lessons I had a 3 octave range. It now diminished somewhat, but I can still sing first tenor and bass.