All four grandparents had been Swedish farmers before immigrating to Nebraska. Whether they knew it or not, they brought not only their agricultural expertise but also certain biological characteristics, genetic virtues if you will, that later blossomed in an exceptional granddaughter-musician.
Yet, in a way, this merely continued Wahoo's tradition for producing famous sons (and daughters), such as: baseball Hall-of Famer Bob Cerv; Western Artist A. Anderson; a certain Dr. Beadle, Nobel prizewinner in physics and later President of the University of Chicago; Darryl Zanuck, a famous Hollywood film producer; and Howard Hansen, music composer and head of the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York.
From the standpoint of music, Patricia's early childhood was uneventful until the day when an automobile broke down in front of the family's home and Patricia's Dad fixed the problem with dispatch. When the car's driver gratefully offered payment to Mr. Eliason, he politely declined, considering it merely a good neighbor act. Whereupon the gentleman offered to provide some free piano lessons to the young, interested bystander. Now it turns out that the "nice man" making this offer was actually a highly competent piano teacher by the name of Thomas Allpress.
This event and its aftermath quickly aroused Patricia' s dormant interests and talents for music in general and the piano in particular, and it began a teacher-student relationship that extended through high school and junior college, long after her family had been required to scrape up the dollar per lesson fee. (And all of her grammar school instruction, by the way, took place in a small, one-room country schoolhouse!)
To say that Patricia was an apt student of piano would clearly be an understatement. Within 4 years she had actually become a professional musician, giving piano lessons to private students at her home and playing the organ at the local Swedish Lutheran Church. By now she was attending Wahoo High School and was singing in or accompanying all of the musical groups in the school even having the enviable position of accompanist for The Boys Glee Club! And she added the slide trombone to her repertoire in order to be able to play in the marching band! Bicycle riding was just another normal activity for lively teenagers, but she always had a particular zest for bicycling!
Patricia was definitely a "depression baby:" Her brother and sister were much older than she, and they had already left the small family farm by the time of Mr . Eliason's passing away, leaving only 11-year old Patricia and her mother on the farm. Mrs. Eliason, a former grammar school teacher, was able to return to teaching, at various one-room country schools in the area, eventually including Wahoo's Grammar School.
The climatic contrast between wintry Nebraska and sunny Southern California was so striking that Patricia resolved to come West for good some day. But first came Luther Junior College (Wahoo. Nebraska) where Patricia began studies for Secondary Vocal and Instrumental Education. and college at University of Nebraska (Lincoln) and Nebraska Wesleyan (Lincoln). Each Christmas a 250-voice chorus of country folk sang Handel's Messiah at the Junior College. with Patricia at the keyboards for six successive years. And at the universities. Patricia was in the dance band (trombone), marching band (trombone). and concert band. where she was featured as the piano artist playing the "Warsaw Concerto.. with the band on their multi- state concert tour.
Following four years of strenuous but productive studies and participation. financed by personal work earnings and various scholarships. Patricia now had her desired academic degrees and headed west to Los Angeles and a teaching career at the tender age of 20. having squeezed 5 years of courses into 4 regular academic years plus summer schools!
The ever-youthful Patricia taught second grade in Hawthorne, CA for a couple of years before moving to Santa Barbara and teaching 2nd for a year at McKinley School. opting for elementary school teaching in lieu of facing 18-year old high school seniors in the classroom. But by 1961. musical opportunities were erupting all over Santa Barbara. so Patricia became a self-employed musician. This included: directing The Mothersingers (now called the Treble Clef) for four years; organ jobs with Trinity Lutheran. Methodist. Presbyterian. and Congregational Churches and with the B.nai Brith Jewish Temple (for 19 years); collaboration with Henry Brubeck at San Marcos High School; and playing piano for Children's Opera with Sharon Currier. In 1973, she founded and operated The Santa Barbara School of Music. above 1129 State Street. where 18 different musical instruments were taught via a staff of some 12 part-time teachers. The late Shay Torrent. one of the fine staff musicians at the school. performed many organ/piano duo concerts with Patricia in the area. The SBSOM undoubtedly would have continued for more than its 4 years. save for the disastrous Sycamore Canyon Fire of July 1977 that wiped out all of Patricia's earthly possessions. forcing her to close the school and to retrench completely.
The family soon moved to an existing house in the Rancho Del Ciervo development, (north of Patterson Avenue. Goleta), urgently needing a fenced yard for their recently-retrieved dog Duke. who had been rescued from the fire by good Samaritans. Patricia continued to teach ( 40 students) in her home studio. Her next musical venture was a home study course for the piano. inspired as the result of a chance meeting and friendship with Glenn Martin. father of actor/comic Steve Martin. Thus began "The Starr System.. a Home Study Course for Piano -10 years of graded instruction with accompanying tapes that could be undertaken by students anywhere- she even had students in Germany! This system is still used by Patricia with her students! Patricia was also a substitute organist at many local churches.
St. Raphael's turned out to be her "lucky job", for via her friendship with parishioners Jim and Kathy Bartkowiak she learned of the activities of the Prime Time Band. Husband Gabriel was an enthusiastic supporter and surprised her with a perfect Christmas gift of a 1949 classic trombone, quickly leading to her joining the pm in January 2003. And by her new presence in the trombone section, she quickly dispelled the notion that "mature feminine pulchritude" was the exclusive province of either the saxophone section or the clarinet section.
Actually, her combination of music, rigorous bicycling, and other factors is hard to beat! And we are all familiar with her piano virtuosity in addition to her general musicianship. She is also a golfer and plays tennis every Tuesday at 4:30 PM, which explains why she always wears a tennis skirt to PM rehearsal.
Even her domestic life has interesting anecdotes. Although her first marriage eventually ended in divorce, she had first encountered Gabriel, the always-helpful proprietor of the GM Automotive, when she sought assistance after her auto's engine had "blown" (1987). The help obtained was so great, that she always returned to GM for future auto service. Within 4 years, Gabriel started taking piano lessons from Patricia. By the time that both of their marriages had fallen apart (mid-1990's) they were already good friends. So in 1998, she married her mechanic and he married his piano teacher! Together, they have 3 children and one granddaughter, all of whom live in the area and are greatly enjoyed by all.
Following the sale of GM Automotive in November 2002, Gabriel and Patricia took a 2- week cruise of the Panama Canal, with Patricia playing piano 14 successive nights in the main lounge. Back home, the couple spend their free time managing their rental properties in Santa Barbara and Ventura County with Gabriel "fixing and building anything" and Patricia doing the "bean counting" plus landscape design and actual tile and cement work. Clever Gabriel always sends Patricia to Home Depot, where there has never been a shortage of males eager to load appliances, concrete block, cement, etc. onto Patricia's big red, one-ton truck, while its smiling owner, demurely clad in abbreviated shorts, stands gratefully by.
Throughout her student and adult years, Patricia has remained grateful for the scholarship aid she benefited from personally. This has culminated in her recent establishment of the Patricia Staff Music Scholarship Endowment Fund at Santa Barbara City College, as reported in the April 6, 2004 issue of "The Bugle." She is "so appreciative of all who help to make the SBCC Scholarship sail into perpetuity! ! !" We will all be among her supporters, moral and otherwise, as she undertakes the grueling cross-country marathon, soon to start and intended to fund this scholarship! Follow her progress on www .sbstarrsview .com.