Music with Minnesotans: Scott Seal

St. Paul, Minn. — Scott Seal cracks me up.

He loves classical and listens as much as he can when not behind the wheel of the 21 bus in Saint Paul. It's there that he also works out scenarios - like what if Classical-MPR just happened to call him up one day and he had to talk intelligently about classical music?

Well, lo and behold, we asked Scott to come on the radio and he said yes - and then proceeded to send me scripts about the music. I guess in all fairness, I use scripts when I'm hosting a live concert or SymphonyCast, so I get it, but I don't pepper it with lots of silliness - so this was an eye opener. And what fun it is! Maybe I can learn something from this "bus whisperer."

Scott didn't always drive a bus. He has two degrees - in English and Fine Art - from Augsburg College. He lived for a while in Maui (arriving there by sailboat) and in Arizona, but like a lot of native Minnesotans, he kept finding his way back here.

Scott also has a pilot's license and did a stint as a UPS pilot in Northern Minnesota, getting the opportunity to see thunderstorms from the inside - beautiful but pretty frightening.

As well he flew as a bush pilot in a sort of souped-up float plane for a private company, but 9/11 put an end to his flying days and he now drives a bus.

And Scott tells me he's just released his first book, the Science Fiction thriller "Convergence" available through Xlibris.com, Barnes and Noble.com and Amazon.com.

"Bus Drivers are like Cops;" says Scott. "Everybody needs them, everybody hates them." Well, not this one. C'mon, he loves classical music and some of the very best too.

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Scott Seal's playlist:

Gustav Mahler. Symphony No. 1 - de Waart/Minnesota Orchestra

Gabriel Faure, Pavane - Slatkin/ St. Louis

Sergei Prokofiev, Peter and the Wolf - Abbado, Chamber Orchestra of Europe

Sergei Prokofiev, Symphony No. 1 "Classical" - Wolff/SPCO

Carl Nielsen, Aladdin Suite - Salonen/Swedish Radio Orchestra

Howard Hanson, Symphony No. 2 "Romantic" - Slatkin/Saint Louis Symphony

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Next week Ken Holmen - anesthesiologist and physician executive at Regions Hospital and HealthPartners - joins me. He calls himself a passionate music "appreciator" but he is also an avid amateur musician and has sung with the National Lutheran Choir for 20 years.