The Cascade Blues Association is pleased to announce that Nathan deLay Conner is the recipient of the
Christopher Mesi Memorial Music Scholarship for the first half of
1999.
The Cascade Blues Association is pleased to announce that Nathan deLay Conner is the recipient of the
Christopher Mesi Memorial Music Scholarship for the first half of
1999.
Nathan is a freshman at Mt. Hood Community College and is pursuing a degree in Television/ Video Production. Nathan advises that it is his hope to incorporate music and television, such as MTV. "MTV has become an undeniable part of the music culture, and it may provide me with more possibilities in the music industry working with other artists and bands, rather than just as a musician."
Nathan lists his musical talents as singing and playing bass and guitar. He has been around Blues and Blues musicians most of his life. Rumor has it that, as a child, he was seen crawling around amongst the guitars at the 9th Street Exit and he even attended the first Rose City Blues Festival. Nathan said that by the time he reached six or seven years old, he had decided that music wasn't for him. Lucky for us, that changed by the time he was a freshman in high school, when he and a group of friends decided to form a band. After a visit to his father, who was living in New Orleans, he carried home his first piece of musical equipment, an old, often-repaired bass amplifier. His mother also encouraged his musical interests by purchasing him a bass guitar and soon afterwards he and his friends had formed their first band.
Nathan explains that it was in high school that he regained respect for the Blues, "As I read about the bands that I liked, and the styles of music that I listened to, I learned that Blues is a root to most, if not all, of the music that I owned. I also came to find out about the people (and music) that my parents knew that I had never taken time to appreciate such as Jimmy Lloyd Rea, Paul deLay, and Monti Amundson. Much of their playing seemed more like 'my music' than I had expected." As for current and future plans, Nathan is focusing on school and is still playing in a band with friends. He says he is more cautious to have decent material and feels that "the music seems to come together better when the people playing it know enough about the music to play together not just trying to play."
For those of you who attended the March membership meeting, you had the honor of meeting our award recipient, Nathan Conner. So, I am sure you will all join me when I say, "Congratulations, Nathan and good luck in school and in all of your future endeavors."
Love and Blues
Susan Stewart
CBA Scholarship Committee Chair
© 1999 Cascade Blues Association