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| TAYLORVILLE - Therese Clarke of Taylorsville has satisfied a life-long ambition of learning to play the string bass, with the help of Joe Baker who has been sharing his skill with the instrument. The pair met through the help of friends and Clarke's inspiration from a "Guidepost" story about fulfilling dreams.
Photos Courtesy of Breeze-Courier |
Learning to plunk strings fulfills dream for local resident
By Jane Long
Breeze-Courier Writer
TAYLORVILLE - For a very long time, Taylorville resident Therese Clarke has wanted to play the string bass. A dream since high school, the idea of being able to stand and make music with this largest of string instruments has been a persistent desire of hers for 64 years.
"In high school, I said I wanted to play the bass, but there was only one and I had to play the clarinet," she explained about her high school musical career.
"I've always said that before I die, I wanted to learn to play the bass, see the Black Hills and receive a hug from Tom Selleck," the former school teacher explained with a big grin on her face.
It was after reading a story in a "Guidepost" magazine entitled "Never too Late" that Clarke took its message to heart and decided to make this aspiration a reality.
After her daughter e-mailed the author of the story about her request, and with some help from local friends to make the connection, Clarke met Joe Baker, who agreed to share his skill of playing the bass.
The musical twosome have met about a half-dozen times at Clarke's home, 45 to 60 minutes a session, as Baker takes Clarke through the techniques necessary to play the bass.
In one recent lesson, the duo had a toe-tapping time, while she played "Yankee Doodle" on the bass and Baker accompanied her on mandolin.
"I didn't know what it would be like, to try to teach a teacher, explained Baker, an Edinburg farmer who has played the bass for 30 years. He admitted that he thought the lessons might be difficult since he doesn't read music.
"I'm really having a lot of fun. She knows her music."
Clarke plays a bass that's borrowed from Taylorville High School. When they aren't having lessons, she keeps the upright instrument in the bedroom, leaning against a dresser, where she can walk in and plunk it for a few minutes, whenever she has the time.
"I try to practice every little chance I get," she explained about her new routine.
Clarke can keep a good beat, added Baker. "I enjoy showing her what I can. I think it's neat that she wants to do this."
Clarke received her inspiration for fulfilling this dream after reading Bob Haverstick's story about his attempts to find a new career at the age of 51 when the computer software company where he'd worked for 14 years closed. It was a verse from Proverbs that led Haverstick to start a public charity called "Never Too Late" that grants wishes to fulfill people's dreams with the help of others.