Mr Trevor Modistach
Member, Baritone
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| Bio/Profile |
| One day, Heather and I were strolling through Colonnades Shopping Centre, and In the distance we could hear what sounded like 'Barbershop Singing' and sure enough it was a group of "Mature Age" gentlemen making beautiful harmony. While standing listening, we were given a flyer. It took several months of procrastination until Heather suggested I make contact, so that's where singing Barbershop started for me with the Fleurieu Harmony Chorus. Approx.2011. I was born at Eudunda in the Lower Mid North of S.A, and at age 10, Dad, as an International Harvester Mechanic, got a job in Yorketown, Yorke Peninsula, so our family, in our little Morris Minor convertible headed to our new home. My musical interest started, singing in the local Methodist Choir, with Mum and my older Sister,sopranos, Dad a Tenor, and me, a boy soprano. Once my voice broke I also sang tenor. At about age 13, I was keen on becoming a drummer. Our Family loved dancing and we attended all of the local dances and the drummers would let me fill in for a few dances during these eveings, thus started a part time, self taught, drumming carreer that lasted for over 30 years. I also started correspondence guitar lessons, through the 'Adelaide College of Music' in the mid 50s, which I found frustrating, and because I had a reasonable ear for music, as soon as I had learnt 3 chords and found I could play songs, I forgot the lessons, and learnt further chords on my own. With the guitar, my Sister and I started a duo, singing at parties, concerts, dances etc. with me singing the harmony parts. Having also bought myself a drum kit at age 15, I was playing at more and more Dances, Balls and weddings etc up and down the Peninsula, and until I had my licence, Mum and Dad would take me. They would dance and I would play. When my Sister married and left the district, I joined with another couple of local lads in the early sixties, each of us with a guitar. We became the 'Denley Trio' and even appeared twice on the TV talent show, 'Stairway to the Stars' - ours was a very short flight of stairs !!, but it was a lot of fun. I attended the Yorketown Area School and my favourite subjects were music, woodwork/metalwork, art and geography.. By 'second year' I couldn't wait to leave school, and 'lucky me', a local carpenter spoke to Mum and enquired as to whether I would be interested in becoming a carpenter ---- I left school the following week !!!!!! it was 1958. At the same time I also joined the local Emergency Fire Service (EFS) and remained a volunteer both at Yorketown and later in Morphett Vale until the mid 80s. I tried playing football locally, and made the 'b' grade a couple of times, but contact sport wasn't for me. If I heard footsteps behind me while I had the ball, I was happy to give it to 'who-ever' it was so they wouldn't tackle me !!. Tennis was my preferred sport. In 1963, while attending my annual, two week trade school excursion to the city, I was introduced to a lovely young lady, named Heather, singing in the choir at my relation's, Col. Light Gardens Methodist Church. We married in 1966 and lived in an old house in Yorketown until 1967. After 8 years as a Carpenter and Joiner, I wanted to pursue a career in Architecture or Draughting, as I loved technical drawing and sketching, and I also loved the city, so we took the plunge. Living in a flat in North Unley while building our home in Morphett Vale. We moved in 1968, and albeit in a different house, we are still in Morphett Vale today. Although I had a Trade Certificate, which was a minimum requirement for the courses I pursued, applicants with higher qualifications filled the courses and thus started a working carreer that spanned many and varied occupations. As an Interim job, I became a bread carter with Opies Bakery for six months which gave me time to look for a different vocation as I didn't want to get back into carpentry. Because of my voluntary fire experience I applied for a job with the Metro. Fire Service as a Fire Equipment Serviceman. travelling the city and country, servicing fire extinguishers etc. This led to being offered a job at Pyrene Australia, (later Chubb Fire Security) as a Storeman (for both Pyrene and Chubb Lock and Safe Co). and a Fire Eqip. Seviceman for Pyrene. After 6 months I was offered a Sales Rep. position within the Company. and then, after 12 months I was promoted to State Manager, which I held for a further six years. At this time I was advised by the Director of EFS (now CFS), that positions were becoming available at the new EFS/CFS Headquarters at Keswick. I applied and started as a Control Centre Operator In the Emergency Operations Centre, and later, a Regional Officer, overseeing the building and distribution of new Fire Appliances to CFS Brigades across the State, I was with CFS for 15 years, until our Government's State Bank collapsed, at which time all Govt. departments had to reduce staff. As I was one of the older members, I had 2 choices, either move to the country or take a Voluntary Package. We opted for the latter. It never bothered me looking for other employment options, so initially, we bought a small Lawnmowing round, but after a short time, we set up a wheelie bin cleaning business -"The Bin Bath"- in the Noarlunga Council Area. We started the business with nothing other than a ute, a pressure cleaner, tank of water and trailer. I went door knocking each day in areas where the bins were being emptied, offered a complimentry first clean, and the business snowballed. After five years and cleaning just on 2000 bins, some close friends, working around Australia, asked us to join them in a little place called Leonora, in the W.A. Goldfields This started our caravan travelling life. At Leonora, Heather had a job in the General Store with our friends, and I got a job managing a freight yard with 5 drivers, delivering goods to gold mines, survey camps etc..over a 300 Km radius. I was on 24 hour call and truck driving up to 600 km a day. 7 days a week. After 8 weeks, we had had enough, and left WA and headed to Queensland where I got a job at 'The Links', a new 'pristine' resort golf club in Port Douglas. I was a Cleaner/ Maintenance Handyman. Heather worked in the office at the caravan park and we fell in love with Tropical North Queensland and stayed for 12 months. Following that time, and having a semi-trailer licence, a forklift and tractor ticket, I was able to get work on a bean farm in Qld., doing harvest work on a cotton and grain farm in NSW, the grape harvest back in SA and the sugar cane harvest in Qld. Back in SA, post travelling, my Son, (a cabinet maker, builder) and I, worked on building additions to houses and undertaking insurance building work until I officially retired in early 2019. In my retirement I'm enjoying making models with the help of my small woodworking computerised router, gardening, tinkering and 'cruising' in our old 1965 Wolseley car and of course, singing barbershop with the Chorus. |