Tracy Burgess Wfan

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Tracy Burgess Wfan

I was born into a musical family; I began piano at around the age of five, and later started learning how to conduct from around 12 so that the boys had a proper teacher when they came to school. I then had piano lessons from my family, for the most part, up until it was about four years after I had started piano lessons. When I got into secondary school in September of 1980 I commenced private tuition with Tano Freeman, a classmate from St Mark's school which is housed in Clongowes Wood just across the river in County Stoneybotta. During this time I began my interest in conducting, and gave lessons for my junior exams on Christmas morning in 1980.

I was always interested in trying my hand at everything - for example, a year or two in the local youth orchestra, which I attended at The Arts Club in Clongowes. I also enjoyed spending time in the recording studios on a Saturday and would be on the studio site singing songs. After a year or two the facility of the studio was too small for me, so I decided to become a leader. That was in January of 1982. I had worked with Mr Finn as a leader in a church in Enfield and at his house with me in Clongowes, and I worked for some time as a leader in a youth orchestra. Then, in 1982, I joined the junior stage in Enfield. We were a contemporary string line that performed for the school. I was one of the few students that knew exactly what our orchestra was made of, and indeed was so well drilled by the orchestra that I regarded them as one of the top five orchestras in the country. It was very quickly apparent to me that I was going to be a very good conductor. There had been a great deal of planning to enable me to be so, and I realised that if I took this opportunity I was going to be able to play with great distinction.

I first began to offer my services to the authorities but found very little support to get through those stages. Although I did get very favourable replies, the system only went so far.