Tyler Brown
Conversion Therapy: THE Rodney Bowens (Instrument Whisperer)
One of my best friends is Rodney Bowens--or Hot Rod, as I affectionately call him. If that name doesn’t strike a chord with you, it should, as he is one of the best musicians I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing, never mind playing with. One is reminded of a cross between Buddy Guy and Miles Davis--he plays like Davis but looks and acts like Guy. When I conceived the idea of conducting a series of somewhat ironic interviews for those fellow sports ignoramuses who might be convertible to Horned Frog athletics, he was the first I approached. What follows is a transcription of a conversation we had.
Rodney, tell me about yourself.
I am a professional musician.
Carry on.
I am a, what do you call it, on and off, twenty years, student of jazz. I’m like Frank Sinatra. I did it my way. Went back to school four years ago, graduated last spring, a bachelor’s of jazz studies. Ironic, I played jazz so well that the professor made me do classical for four years.
I never had that problem.
I don’t think he liked me very much because he made me play baritone for four years. And I’m about as big as a baritone. Imagine carrying that around campus.
Your own body weight.
And I’m known as "The Instrument Whisperer." I can play many instruments. People ask me how I play so many instruments and I tell them it’s because I studied under Timothy Ishii--that's spelled I-S-H-I-I, Ishii. I can play guitar, I play sax, I play flute, I play fiddle, at church I play keys and bass. So you know, the instruments, they kind of weave into each other. A bass is nothing but a guitar with four strings. A flute ain’t nothing but a little saxophone.
How can our readers see you play?
Since we’re talking Horned Frogs, you can come see me at Waterside on Wednesday at The Rim. Very nice place. The food is kickin. Menu was created by the famous chef, Keith Hicks, which was the chef at Buttons. Now he’s partnered with The Rim. And it’s a really nice place. And Thursday I’m at The Rim in Burleson.
Rodney, what is your opinion of sports in general?
Well, I don’t watch sports.
Neither do I!
But I am a Cowboy fan.
Okay.
Because they are . . .
Masochists.
That’s my home team.
But we always lose.
I don’t care. That’s my home team. Dallas Cowboys. I’ll support them. I don’t care if they win or lose.
But only football.
Only football. Everything else is pretty boring. It’s a really fun sport to watch. You’ve got the running and the catching of the ball . . .
You’ve got that in baseball.
Eh. It’s not the same. They’re just standing out there waiting for the ball. “I hope they hit it this way because I’m going to catch it. Pop! There it is. Here it comes.” That kind of stuff. They might have to do a little running, but not like football. You’ve gotta weave and dodge. You’ve gotta fake the other guy out just to get the opportunity to catch the ball. The thing about football is sometimes they don’t catch the ball, sometimes they don’t kick the field goal. Sometimes they don’t get the five yards for the first down. Now you ask me to play a C-major scale, I’m going to say which instrument do you want me to play it on. And how many octaves do you want me to play it through. And it’s going to be perfect every time. I think that as far as athletes, how much money they’re getting paid, they better be glad I’m not the coach. I’d be like “You’re fired!”
So let’s bring it back to TCU. You watch the Dallas Cowboys but you won’t watch TCU.
No.
Why not?
Because I don’t watch sports.
Yeah but you watch professional football. In college football, if they do get paid, it’s in a completely different way--they’re by and large doing it for the love of the game. So why not TCU football if it’s your home team?
Well, it is my home team. And if I watched college football I would watch TCU. I think it goes back to the roots. My parents never watched college football. My mother went to college but my father didn’t go to college. Postal worker. He was the hardest working man I ever seen in my life. I think that’s why I’ll never work a day in my life, just watching him work. Never wanted to do that. But we didn’t watch college football. Now my wife, Jackie, watches college football with a passion.
So is there any chance you might start watching college football?
Yeah, now that we’re talking about it. Just to see what TCU is up to. I got a TCU story. Back in the spring of '85, we pledged three football players from TCU in our fraternity. And we’d go to TCU and bring them back to the frat house to pledge them and the funniest thing, I weigh about 140 pounds soak and wet and here I am trying to pledge a 250 pound line backer. I had a chance to go to TCU when I graduated high school, and I went to UTA. What? Really? You’d think my parents would have said something. I don’t know, I just think the price of the package makes it worth more when you’re trying to get a job. I don’t know, that’s just my point of view.
What are the chances I can convert you to being a Horned Frog fan?
This is what you’d have to do. You’d have to call me and say: “Hey Rodney, Horned Frogs are coming on today. Why don’t you watch the game?” And you know what, I would watch the game. I’ve never had any one ask me to participate in college sports. I’ll commit to a season. You know what, I’ll go to a game. What time is the game? They’re during the day right?
They’re usually on Saturdays any time between 11 and 6.
So since I’ve never been to a TCU football game, you think, uh, your boss is gonna comp me some tickets?
I’ll ask her. Thanks, Rodney.
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