- 1952 - born into a United States Army family in Massachusetts - father was a sergeant first class.
- 1958-1961 - lived inGermany where father was part of U.S. Army forces in NATO. Somewhere in here, visited Mozart's birthplace and saw the piano he played on at home. Had no idea who Mozart was.
- 1961-1962 - lived at Fort Benning, in Columbus, Georgia. Remembers being part of a massive emergency drill (we were told it was a drill, anyway) evacuated to bomb shelters - later realized this was in the heat of the Cuban missile crisis.
- 1962 - moved to Hanover, New Hampshire, where father was part of the Dartmouth College ROTC program.
- 1963 - started studying trumpet in private lessons with Mr. Walter Marcuse (selected the trumpet for no other reason that good friend Peter Clark played the trumpet).
- 1963-1964 - played in elementary school band
- 1964 - was caught up in the sound of the Beatles, knew that the pop music scene had changed and was excited by the possibilities.
- 1965 - played trumpet in Junior-Senior High School Band (7th grade). Was told in no uncertain terms by Mr. Marcuse that he was not very good, hardly ever practiced and if it continued, he would still be in the last chair of the trumpet section when he graduated in June of 1970. Mr. Marcuse then offered to teach David to read the bass clef if he would switch to euphonium, since one of the only two euphonium players was graduating and the other euphonium player wasn't working any harder than David was. David agreed.
- 1965-1969 - played euphonium in school band and was thrilled with the rich, sonorous harmony parts and countermelodies the euphonium played. Experienced music from a whole new perspective which opened his eyes to the richness of music.
- 1967-1968 - Walter Marcuse had a series of heart attacks which almost killed him. He was forced to step down as high school band director because of the stress level but he continued to teach elementary instrumental lessons and direct the elementary school band and teach a music seminar at the high school level. Mrs. Rose Gittelman took over as high school band director to complete the year.
- 1968 (Fall) - George W. Black became the permanent band director at the high school. He brought a younger, more pop/jazz oriented approach to his conducting, while still focusing on solid concert band literature. Another eye opener for David, whose whole exposure so far had been very "old-school" with Mr. Marcuse, Mrs. Goodwin and the only other band director he knew, Don Wendlandt, the band director at Dartmouth College.
- 1969 (Spring) - realized that from the practicing on the trumpet that he had been doing at home (while still playing euphonium in the school band) that he would be better than any of the remaining trumpet players after that year's seniors had graduated, so he bought a better trumpet and practiced all Summer long.
- 1969 (Fall) - took over as trumpet section leader, organized a pep band for playing at soccer games (in addition to the marching band's performances at football games), and joined the high school orchestra. Realized that he wanted to pursue music somehow as a profession.
- 1970 - Graduated from Hanover High School and in the fall began attending Colby College.
- 1970-1972 - Played trumpet in Colby Community Orchestra, under Dr. Comparetti, whose taste in music did not include works with heavy demands on the trumpet section.
- 1970-1974 - played in the R.B. Hall Band, a community band in Waterville, Maine.
- 1971-1972 - Served (along with Jim Signorile, room-mate and good friend) as orchestra manager. Also served as Colby College Band manager (also along with Jim) and studied conducting with Robert Hudson, Colby College Band director (also along with Jim.) Conducted a piece with the Colby College Band. Began studying trumpet privately with John Rynne, trumpet player extraordinaire and band director at Waterville High School.
- 1972-1974 - Served as Colby College Band president (with Jim Signorile as vice president). John Rynne took over as Colby College Band director in addition to remaining as Waterville High School band director. John Rynne agreed that the Colby Band needed to get out of the stands at football games but had no time (on the small stipend Colby paid) to do any such work himself, although he was willing to show up as faculty advisor for games. David and Jim wrote some humorous half-time shows which demanded very little actual marching but did get the band out on the football field to great acclaim from fans, football team members and coaching staff. Organized a pep band for Colby College hockey games. David and Jim continued to direct the band in one piece each for most concerts.
- 1973 - Gordon W. Bowie became Colby College Band Director. He was all in favor of the marching band aspect, and enthusiastically supported all of David and Jim's suggestions and activities in running the band. David organized the Colby Brass Players, a large ensemble of brass, numbering around 10. Gordon invited David to come join the Bangor Band, which Gordon directed, which was a paid union gig, so David joined the A.F. of M.
- 1974 - Graduation from college, along with uncertainty about the future, lead David to want to hang around Waterville a bit longer, so he took a full time job with the Colby College food service, and continued to play in the college band and in the Bangor Band. The Colby Brass Players shrunk to a brass quartet, along with Scott Kimball on trumpet, with Steve Gasiorowski and Jeff Chandler on trombones. David began doing arrangements for the brass quartet.
- 1975 (Spring) - Gordon remarked about the repairman at Viner's Music (big music store in Bangor) having learned instrument repair at Western Iowa Tech Community College. This ignited a spark in David's mind, and he investigated and decided to pursue instrument repair study beginning in the Fall. Knowing that David needed a place to live for the summer, and needing a hand building a kennel on their farm, Gordon and Mary Bowie invite David to live with them and help out. This also enabled David to join Hal Wheeler's Big Band in Bangor in addition to being able to play all of the Bangor Band performances.
- 1975 (Fall) - said goodbye to all that was familiar and packed all his belongings in his car and headed to Sioux City, Iowa to begin learning musical instrument repair.
- 1976 (Spring) - was hired over the phone and at the recommendation of Karl Schultz, head of the instrument repair program at WITCC, to become the instrument repair technician at Hampshire Music, in Nashua, NH. Ironically, the position was open and in need of quick filling because the same repairman who had sparked David's interest had accepted the job but never showed up, having taken a better job in a Boston suburb.
- 1976-1985 - worked as instrument repair technician at Hampshire Music.
- 1976-1981 and again 1986-1991 - played with the Souhegan Recorder Consort, which included members Dorothy Fitch, Erna Johnson, Jon Thunberg, Dave Johnson, Priscilla Oliver and Gloria Fraser (at various times).
- 1978 - Joined Temple, NH Town Band. Stayed with the band for many years.
- 1985 - Quit working at Hampshire Music and opened the David Bailey Music Studio, teaching private lessons and repairing musical instruments. Still going strong!
- 1985 - Began conducting the Hollis (NH) Town Band - still going strong!
- 1986 - stopped playing with Temple Band full time - needed the evening time to schedule lessons.
- 1991-1998 - Conducted the Lowell Philharmonic Orchestra. Modernized the programming by performing works by Jim Theobald (world premiere of "Symphony of American Folk Songs"), Tracey Rush (one work each concert in 1997-1998 season), Nancy Bloomer Deussen and Elizabeth Pizer. All at the same time as programming classics and exposing the audience to lesser known older composers as well as performing premieres of works by local composers such as Dr. David Sears.
- 1992 - founded (along with Lauren Mann) the Lowell Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, to provide a first orchestral experience for young musicians.
- 1992-1997 - Conducted the Nashua Flute Choir. Arranged and composed many works for the flute choir, many of which have been published by Falls House Press in Nashua, NH.
- 1993 - taught a couple of courses as adjunct faculty at Merrimack College in Andover, MA (replacing Dr. David Sears who was on sabbatical for the year.)
- Presently - still teaching private music lessons and repairing musical instruments, while also continuing to compose and arrange. Has added computer-music-engraving services to the list of things he does.
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