Tracy Walker(III)
- Actress
Tracy Walker has always loved music and theater.
In 7th grade, as a student at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic School in Madison, Wisconsin, she found that students in the Band got to leave Math class early for rehearsal -- so she decided to get out of Math early, too. She decided to join the Band. She wanted to play drums, but the Band Director said, "Girls don't play drums" so she decided to play trumpet, but again, the Band Director told her it wasn't an instrument for a girl. Her friend, Tess, played clarinet and said, "Play clarinet -- it's easy!" Apparently, clarinet can be played by girls, so she started there -- and thus began her love of music. That same year, she was forced into a role in a skit to be performed in front of the whole school. Terrified, she stepped on stage and found her niche -- and there began her love of performing!
Attending Edgewood High School, she played clarinet in the Concert, Pep and Stage Bands, and learned bari sax to play in the Jazz Ensemble. She was the recipient of various college scholarships and musical awards, and was named in "Who's Who Among American High School Musicians". Upon High School graduation, she accompanied a friend, Jay, to an audition with "Stage Coach Players" (theater) and was asked to read with him -- she ended up cast as the lead in the show.
Attending college at both Edgewood College and the University of Wisconsin (Madison), Tracy majored in Music and Education. She taught herself trumpet to earn a spot in the prestigious UW Marching Band, under the direction of Professor Michael Leckrone, where she was a member while attending college -- and where she met her husband, Bill Walker, a trumpet soloist in the Band. While in the UW Band, she made commercials for McDonald's and appeared in "Lenny's Inferno" with other Band members. She also appeared in the movie, "Back to School" which was filmed partly on the UW campus.
Upon Bill's graduation from the UW, they moved to South Carolina, and they expanded their family with the births of their daughters, Rebecca and Sarah. Even in South Carolina, Tracy and Bill were extremely active in Music, performing in various Community and Church Bands. Bill wanted to start a Brass Quintet, but needed a French Hornist. He told Tracy, "You should learn French horn -- it's just like playing trumpet" (it's not). She returned to college, learned (and majored in) french horn, and did, indeed, play in Bill's Brass Quintet.
Their little family moved back to Madison, Wisconsin, where they were immersed in music, working as Field Assistants with the UW Marching Band, playing with the UW Alumni Band, the Edgewood College Concert Community Band, and the Edgewood College Jazz Ensemble. Finding they still had "free time", they started the Red Hot Horn Dawgs (rock & soul, rhythm & blues) Show Band, in which Tracy arranged music and played trumpet, flugelhorn, and auxiliary percussion. (After more than 20 years, that Band is still going strong!) While working at and attending Edgewood College, she had a number of bit parts in "The Edgewood College Story, A Musical" written and Directed by Dr. Phil Martin in conjunction with Edgewood Celebrating their 75th Jubilee. Actress and Director, Audrey Lauren Wax, was at that time one of the Theater Majors, and asked Tracy to audition for a show she was Directing. After having been away from the stage for so long, and making every excuse possible to NOT audition, she finally did -- and the theatrical performance light was once again ignited! In 2005 she completed Bachelor Degrees at Edgewood College in Music and Theater Production & Design, where she performed in and directed various plays. Immediately after graduation, their family moved to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where they reside today. In 2012 she completed her Master's Degree in Professional Studies with a Concentration in Strategic Leadership from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). She has also been honored to study Acting and Directing with Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Spacey and now Ron Howard.
Still active in music, Tracy and Bill started The Atomic Horns band and still perform with Soul Candy & the Traffic Jam band, in which Tracy sings and plays trumpet and auxiliary percussion. She founded Footlights Productions, performs in and directs numerous shows with local theater productions, appears as Ma McCoy (swing) in the extremely popular "The Hatfields and McCoys Dinner Feud" in Pigeon Forge, TN, and appears in TV and movie roles in central and east TN.
She loves what she does, and knows that she couldn't do it without the loving support of her husband, Bill, daughters, Becca and Sarah, granddaughters, Olivia and Maisie, and her household zoo of numerous dogs and cats.
In 7th grade, as a student at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic School in Madison, Wisconsin, she found that students in the Band got to leave Math class early for rehearsal -- so she decided to get out of Math early, too. She decided to join the Band. She wanted to play drums, but the Band Director said, "Girls don't play drums" so she decided to play trumpet, but again, the Band Director told her it wasn't an instrument for a girl. Her friend, Tess, played clarinet and said, "Play clarinet -- it's easy!" Apparently, clarinet can be played by girls, so she started there -- and thus began her love of music. That same year, she was forced into a role in a skit to be performed in front of the whole school. Terrified, she stepped on stage and found her niche -- and there began her love of performing!
Attending Edgewood High School, she played clarinet in the Concert, Pep and Stage Bands, and learned bari sax to play in the Jazz Ensemble. She was the recipient of various college scholarships and musical awards, and was named in "Who's Who Among American High School Musicians". Upon High School graduation, she accompanied a friend, Jay, to an audition with "Stage Coach Players" (theater) and was asked to read with him -- she ended up cast as the lead in the show.
Attending college at both Edgewood College and the University of Wisconsin (Madison), Tracy majored in Music and Education. She taught herself trumpet to earn a spot in the prestigious UW Marching Band, under the direction of Professor Michael Leckrone, where she was a member while attending college -- and where she met her husband, Bill Walker, a trumpet soloist in the Band. While in the UW Band, she made commercials for McDonald's and appeared in "Lenny's Inferno" with other Band members. She also appeared in the movie, "Back to School" which was filmed partly on the UW campus.
Upon Bill's graduation from the UW, they moved to South Carolina, and they expanded their family with the births of their daughters, Rebecca and Sarah. Even in South Carolina, Tracy and Bill were extremely active in Music, performing in various Community and Church Bands. Bill wanted to start a Brass Quintet, but needed a French Hornist. He told Tracy, "You should learn French horn -- it's just like playing trumpet" (it's not). She returned to college, learned (and majored in) french horn, and did, indeed, play in Bill's Brass Quintet.
Their little family moved back to Madison, Wisconsin, where they were immersed in music, working as Field Assistants with the UW Marching Band, playing with the UW Alumni Band, the Edgewood College Concert Community Band, and the Edgewood College Jazz Ensemble. Finding they still had "free time", they started the Red Hot Horn Dawgs (rock & soul, rhythm & blues) Show Band, in which Tracy arranged music and played trumpet, flugelhorn, and auxiliary percussion. (After more than 20 years, that Band is still going strong!) While working at and attending Edgewood College, she had a number of bit parts in "The Edgewood College Story, A Musical" written and Directed by Dr. Phil Martin in conjunction with Edgewood Celebrating their 75th Jubilee. Actress and Director, Audrey Lauren Wax, was at that time one of the Theater Majors, and asked Tracy to audition for a show she was Directing. After having been away from the stage for so long, and making every excuse possible to NOT audition, she finally did -- and the theatrical performance light was once again ignited! In 2005 she completed Bachelor Degrees at Edgewood College in Music and Theater Production & Design, where she performed in and directed various plays. Immediately after graduation, their family moved to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where they reside today. In 2012 she completed her Master's Degree in Professional Studies with a Concentration in Strategic Leadership from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). She has also been honored to study Acting and Directing with Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Spacey and now Ron Howard.
Still active in music, Tracy and Bill started The Atomic Horns band and still perform with Soul Candy & the Traffic Jam band, in which Tracy sings and plays trumpet and auxiliary percussion. She founded Footlights Productions, performs in and directs numerous shows with local theater productions, appears as Ma McCoy (swing) in the extremely popular "The Hatfields and McCoys Dinner Feud" in Pigeon Forge, TN, and appears in TV and movie roles in central and east TN.
She loves what she does, and knows that she couldn't do it without the loving support of her husband, Bill, daughters, Becca and Sarah, granddaughters, Olivia and Maisie, and her household zoo of numerous dogs and cats.
