Travis Jr.s (Travis for the rest of this bio) musical career started with piano lessons while he was in elementary school (for a short period only -- he hated them), and with the cornet in beginning band. It was hard to get over the hump, and he wanted to quit many times, but his mother would not allow it. He played in all of the school bands, the school orchestra and the stage band. He was always a large person, and was a potential football player -- but the band came first and that is where he stayed. He graduated from Twin Falls in May of 1960, and then went to The University of Idaho. He had aspirations of becoming a metallurgical engineer, but lost interest in that fairly quickly. He decided that music should be his pursuit, and enrolled in the Music Education program. In 1965 he graduated with a BS (MusEd), and after five years in the NROTC program a commission as Ensign in the United States Navy Reserve. He was ordered to the USS Cowell (DD547), where he served for two years (his contract), home ported at Hunters Point in San Francisco, California.

Those two years were great experience, and he was tempted to go to ASW school in Norfolk, but decided instead to get back to his teaching. Besides that , he was a newly married man to his wife (now of 39 years), Patricia. They moved to The Dalles, Oregon, where Travis began his teaching career. He started in the elementary schools, but when the junior high band man disappeared (just left at Christmas time), Travis took over there. In early 1970, Travis sent his resume to the B. C. Department of Education, and in late May, he and Patricia decided to stop by Victoria en-route to seeing her father in Vancouver. He was told that his papers were in order, and that he could check with the B. C. Teachers Qualifications people in Vancouver for prospective jobs. When he arrived at that office, the interviewer was very cool towards Travis, thinking him to be another of those U. S. draft dodgers. When he expressed that, Travis told him that he had served his country as an officer in the U S Navy, and was proud of his service. The whole interview changed from that moment, and the interviewer advised him of two positions that were available at that time -- one in Kamloops, and one in Powell River. Upon later sharing this with his father-in-law, the former owner of a large tug boat company (Pacific Coyle Navigation), he told him that Powell River was the place to go. They called the contact, Charles Stowell, and he invited us for an interview immediately. This was at about 4:30 p.m., and the last ferry left at 6:00 -- so we high tailed it out to Horseshoe Bay, barely making it in time. Our first impression of Powell River was not too favourable, as it was late at night, and we never saw the city centre. The next day, however, Charles Stowell picked us up and took us to all of the schools. We were entertained as his home, and several band parents were there as well. We went home to The Dalles feeling pretty positive -- and within 2 days were phoned with an invitation to come to work in Powell River. We decided that we would do that (for a year or two) -- and 35 years later, here we still are. It was the best move we could ever have made, and it has been a great place to rear our two boys, Christopher and Michael. Charles was a wonderful teacher, and at that time had one of the premier band programs in Canada. Every year he would contract with UBC to take only the very best student that their music program had to offer as a student teacher in Powell River. And Travis got to meet and work with most of them (and learn from them as well).

Travis met Peter Taylor as one of those student teachers in the early 70s. It was great when Peter came to work in Powell River. Travis likes to say of Peter that "he has forgotten more about jazz than most of us will ever learn". It was really great experience to work with Peter, and that was made even sweeter when Travis joined him in the West Coast Jazz & Blues Society.

After retiring in 2001, Travis has had more time to devote to the Society, and it is a main focal point from September through April, the Vocal Summit, this year being number eleven (XI).

When Travis was chosen as co-winner of the Frank DeMiero Award, it was a total surprise to him. Frank had received his award on the Friday night, and Travis was honoured on Saturday night. Travis said, "It is the greatest honour that I have ever received -- and to be honoured at the same time as Frank DeMiero is just so amazing. I still cannot believe it. Frank and I are both very big guys, and as we were going up to the stage on Saturday night, I said to Frank ' you know, we outweigh any three or possibly four people in this audience'. And he quipped back: 'Travis, we carry a lot of weight.' That moment, and being on stage with Peter and Frank as a recipient of this prestigious award, will always stand as one of the highlights of my life. And Frank, besides being a wonderful educator and human being, will always be one of my true heroes and a beloved friend. As the song says: 'Oh Lord I am not Worthy'."

Travis and his wife Patricia now reside in Sechelt, B. C., but Travis still maintains his ties with WCJBS and his performing buddies in Powell River.