Man keeps good on pact, but fails auditions

LYNN HAVEN — He gave it all he had; however, he did not make the band.

Graham Shaw, a 50-year alumnus from Florida State University, had auditioned for the percussion section as a part of keeping a promise he had made about 50 years ago with his late friend, Doug Kerley. The two FSU graduates made a pact in 1964 to try out for the band post retirement.

 “It was unbelief,” Shaw said, describing his emotions after finding out he didn’t pass the Aug. 15 auditions. He and his wife, Linda Shaw, “both shed some tears.”

All of the techniques involved in performing with cymbals, Shaw practically had under his belt. He had hired a private tutor and spent hours practicing daily. However, sight reading — a task that calls for the reader to instantly play never seen before music — was not something he had spent much time on, Shaw, 72, said.

 “I did fair, but I didn’t do as well as I wanted to,” Shaw said. “If I had to do it over again, I would’ve practiced more on sight reading.”

On the brighter side of the audition, Shaw had kept his promise.

“It felt good to have done it; it took a lot of courage to do that,” he said.

And instead of marching on the field, Shaw and his wife are staying in Tallahassee in the fall to take a couple of courses at the university.

“I got lots of support from friends on Facebook and other former marching chief percussionists,” he said. And, most importantly, “Linda has stood with me.

“She has been my biggest cheerleader,” he said.