Go West, Young... Lady!

My name is Erin Paul, and I'm a native Waterfordian. I was born in Richmond, VA where my dad's family lived; my parents were moving back to Connecticut from Texas and made a pit stop. So I showed up in Waterford at a few months, and stayed until I went to college! I still consider Waterford my home, despite not living there for a few years now. I'm currently in graduate school in Las Vegas, getting my master's degree in music performance. This blog is here to give a perspective on life in Las Vegas from a Connecticut viewpoint. 

I went to Oswegatchie Elementary, then on to Clark Lane and Waterford High School. I was very active in the music programs offered by all three schools, and to this day am incredibly thankful for the comprehensive music education I received in Waterford public schools. In high school, I was able to participate in a number of ensembles, including marching band, jazz band, jazz choir, horn quartet, chorus and orchestra.

Mr. Fioravanti had (and still does) a packed schedule that kept us busy, productive and out of trouble! I participated in a few theater shows as well, and was a senior during the inaugural year of Shane's WATERFORDrama program. (My brother Kevin participated in the drama program as well, and received a scholarship to Mitchell College for his talent.) Being in a show gave me a useful perspective to apply when I started playing in pit orchestras; I knew what it was like to be the one dancing around onstage. I also took music theory and jazz improvisation courses, giving me a solid foundation in the concepts I would go on to study in college.

I studied horn privately with Heather Doughty, the co-principal horn of the Coast Guard Band; she also coached our horn quartet and taught the other WHS horns. Without her guidance and support, I would not be where I am today. 

Growing up in Waterford was a privilege, and something I didn't fully appreciate until I left. The depth of programming offered by the high school is incredible for a small town, and I was fortunate to be a part of it. 

After high school, I went to the Hartt School (University of Hartford) in West Hartford, CT. I received a generous scholarship from Hartt for my studies, and spent 5 years there earning my bachelor's degrees in horn performance and music history. It was far enough away that I wasn't doing ALL my laundry at my parents' house, but not so far that visiting home was a hassle. I lived in a number of places on campus, in Hartford and in West Hartford (always looking for the better deal in an expensive place to live!). I was never able to spend a full summer at home, as my jobs were in Hartford, but coming back to Waterford on the weekends was always something to look forward to. There is nothing like coastal Connecticut in the summer months.

After Hartt, I auditioned for graduate schools and received an assistantship for graduate studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The professor of horn at UNLV, Bill Bernatis, taught Heather Doughty, my high school teacher, while he was professor of horn at Ithaca College. I had a lesson with him, loved the campus and the weather, and packed up my car in the heat of July and drove 3,000 miles to Vegas. Then I found out what "heat of July" really means, as soon as we hit the Mojave Desert. (In case you're wondering, a "rest stop" bathroom in Utah is literally a hole in the ground with a facade of a real bathroom. No running water. You're welcome.) The day I arrived it was 113 degrees, and the candles in my trunk had melted. 

Talk about culture and heat shock, I was ready to go home as soon as I got there. My audition was in January, so I had flown from Hartford, freezing my tail off, and found pleasant 65 degree sunshine. That was the weather I bargained for, not this!! Luckily, I was playing for a festival in Lake Tahoe a week later, and escaped north to 75 degrees. (I've completely lost my cold tolerance now, 110 feels pretty mild...)

I've lived in Las Vegas for almost two years now, I moved in July of 2010. The initial shock is over, but I still find myself a Connecticutian at heart. I actually pulled up next to a car with CT tags in Redondo Beach, California and yelled out the window to find out where they were from. "New Britian!" "No way, I went to college in Hartford!" "Awesome, what are you doing out here??" 

It baffles people out here that I don't shut up about home. Ever. In fact, I'm really annoying. "Well in Connecticut, it's like this... back home, we have that." "Oh my God, Erin. Where are you from again? We forgot."

But when you're from a state as great as ours, you can't help it. We have our problems, like a high cost of living (that's why I'm in Vegas!) and that little "winter" problem from after Christmas until April, but we have a rich history and pride of place. When an old building in Connecticut is finally sold, there's a "friends of" organization at the door ready to lobby for repurposing and preserving the historical value.

Out here, they blow up the old hotels that don't make money, regardless of the fact that Sinatra had once sung in the ballroom. Having lived across the street from Mark Twain's house and in a two-family that could have been tenement housing for Pratt and Whitney in the 1800's (we never did find out), I found it strange to be in a place where everything was so new. The university tore down its first original building, and it was only 60 years old. We'll brave asbestos for historical value, but they don't do that here. It's not good vs. bad, it's just a different way of life. Las Vegas is only 100 years old, as opposed to even the "newest" towns in Connecticut that are around 150. 

I'll post my observations of Vegas life from a Connecticut perspective now and then for your enjoyment. If you have any specific questions, please let me know! It's helpful to be reminded about what was so strange when I first got here. 

(Beer, wine, liquor and slot machines in CVS... and you can get it all 24/7, even on Sundays. There's one for ya!)