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Boyd Murray: 02-98761954 (h) (Sydney), email bmurray at eng dot uts dot edu dot au
I didn't like it so I stopped after about 3 lessons.
In my final year at Toowoomba State High School, I saw some other kids playing guitar at the high school Christian group ISCF (Inter School Christian Fellowship) and thought I'd like to be as cool as them. I bought a really cheap classical acoustic guitar and restrung it with steel strings (to be cool) and twanged away driving my family and friends crazy. I concentrated a lot on finger-picking styles as well as rhythm.
After playing for a grand total of 1.5 years, a group of friends who had accompanied me from high school in Toowoomba to Queensland Uni in Brisbane formed a band called Opus, then proceeded to write and perform a Christian Rock Opera at Queensland Uni. Thereafter, we performed at numerous Christian venues around Brisbane until breaking up during final year uni in 1978 (when we all needed to concentrate on passing our exams).
1979 Played guitar and sang regularly in the Quart-Pot folk club in Toowoomba. This is where I first met Ross Hansen (the RooRythmics bushband caller).
1979-1986 Played guitar and led songs at various churches including a 1.5 year stint in Kansas City in the U.S.A.
In 1986, a group of friends at St Matthias Church in to Paddington, Sydney were asked to put on a "freebee" bushdance for the church.
Ross Hansen had done this kind of thing before but none of the others had (including me). It was pretty "untogether" but everybody loved it. Thereafter, we received so many requests that we started charging. The price kept rising until we reduced the bookings to a manageable level. Over the years, several members came and went (mainly due to marriage) but the music has continued on. We have had a great time socially (along with a few arguments) attending gigs in Sydney and the surrounding beaches and mountains performing for church institutions as well as weddings, seminars, parties, etc. The highlight was the Opera House in 1992.
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