By the age of nine or ten, Tom’s playing had advanced to the point where he was able to play in local dance bands. Four nights a week after school and during the day on Saturdays, he would play at the Audrey Ann Dancing Studio. At age eleven he joined the national musicians’ union, the American Federation of Musicians, and thus had the distinction of being their youngest member. By the age of twelve, he was playing with performers four times his age and earning enough money “to make a living.”‘ At his mother’s request, Tom put much of this money aside for college.
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