David's Childhood Home

Moving out

March 2022 my dad moves out of the home we moved into in 1974, when I was 5. I visited Sioux Falls for 2 weeks with Micah and we unpacked in dad's new apartment and packed in the old house. As I packed most everything in the boxes marked "giveaway" and "trash", I took photos.

Record Collection

I can't remember when I got my record player in my room, so it must have been very early. I do remember rigging up a "remote control" which consisted of strings and pulleys which allowed me to pull the arm lever back to start the next record or turn off the machine. I also remember learning to solder and arranging random bare speakers which I'd salvaged from who knows where around the room for "surround sound".

These record are perhaps the bulk of my collection, I never had many. I listened to them mostly as I was going to sleep.

"Porgy and Bess" reminds me of my mother, she had sung in musicals in high school including Oklahoma! Hearing her singing show tunes from Oklahoma! and other musicals was a constant in my childhood. Perhaps "Porgy and Bess" got to be up in my room because it was not one of her favorites, I listened to it over and over, still love "Bess you is My Woman Now". When I was in 5th or 6th grade, the high school held auditions for children to act in their production of The Music Man. The part of Winthrop went to Mike McGowen (a precursor to our high school days when Mike would get all the lead parts) and I was an unnamed boy in the chorus. The Music Man was my first experience of being on a stage outside of church choirs.