Rocker turned math teacher, precalculus and AP calculus teacher Andrew Stallings has been part of a band since his high school years.
The band has changed as the years have passed and members have been lost and added. The band is named BTD to stand for the names of members Bob, Tom, and Drew.
“What first got me into music was being introduced to drums when I was really young, and then later hearing synthesizers when I was a little older, and then seeing Rick Wakeman who was a keyboard wizard playing with Yes when I was in sixth grade, and then after that I knew I wanted to be able to play,” Andrew said. “I first started out playing bass and singing. My first band was in eighth grade and it continued through ninth grade.”
Andrew’s son, John, is impressed by the dedication BTD has shown in their years of existence.
“I think it’s a pretty good band honestly,” John said. “I’ve attended a couple of their practices and I think it’s cool that they’ve stuck together since the eighties and they’re still writing stuff.”
Following his graduation from The University of North Texas, Andrew took his music degree to Nacogdoches where his band wrote music for a year before becoming prolific on the Dallas club scene.
“Right now we are just writing and recording,” Andrew said. “We’re talking about maybe putting some things on iTunes, but we haven’t done that yet. We have some things we think other people would enjoy hearing. We’re not in it for the money anymore. We were never in it for the money. We just hoped we could make a living doing it, but you know, if we can put music out there and enjoy creating and other people enjoy listening to it, then that’s a good thing.”
BTD’s last live show was in 1991. Andrew is the lead vocalist and bass player.
“[The genre has] kind of changed, but it’s kind of a fusion of progressive rock and some folk there’s some folk aspect to it. I would say it’s more progressive than anything else,” Andrew said. “That’s really what we do best. I’m most proud of some of the songs that we’ve written that really speak to socio-political issues.”
John is thankful for the music and art background that his family has as it benefits his own creative growth.
“It’s pretty fun [having a creative family,]” John said. “When my sister comes back from college we play instruments and sing. My dad gives me advice on art stuff, not visual art, but music stuff, because he knows a lot about music theory and how music works, so he can inform me on musical decisions and so can my sister. My sister is more [for] visual art because she went to school for visual art.”
Andrew reminisced on performing for live audiences as he only meets with his band every few months for writing and recording sessions.
“There is a lot more energy when you are on stage,” Andrew said. “When you’re on stage it’s a lot more invigorating. When you know that the audience is enjoying what you’re doing it adds to that. Its a synergistic situation where everybody’s energy is benefitting everybody else.”
John admires his father’s talent and wishes to learn from him. John plays guitar, bass, ukulele, and banjo.
“I think he is a great bass player and a good writer and I want to be a good writer, so i’m going to try to learn from him,” John said. “He’s been through a whole lot of the music lifestyle, being a musician and how they live. I guess it’s not a whole lot of money, but I’m OK with that if I’m going be a musician.”
Despite the slowed activity of the band, Andrew is thankful for the outside interest.
“I’m able to release creative energy because I’m a creative person and to not have an avenue for creating would be a bad thing for me,” Andrew said. “Writing music and playing music keeps me in balance.”
