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Scott Brown is Strung Out, Whether it’s with His Tennis Racket or Guitar 4/12/2005 by Courtney Dimling Vanderbilt tennis star Scott Brown wants to travel the world…and he plans on taking his guitar as well as his tennis racket with him. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to be in a rock band, you know, travel the world playing music…but tennis, the U.S. Open, traveling the world playing in tournaments, well that would be really cool too,” Brown says with a smile. Ironically, his two passions in life–tennis and music–he began relatively late in his childhood, taking up tennis at age sixteen and guitar at age eleven. “Tennis was the last sport I got into, that was after soccer and swimming, baseball and basketball–all that other stuff… I watched my mom, she had just gotten into it. I watched her play, and she’d take me to watch her practice. I just watched her and picked up on it.” Pick up on it he did, excelling in the sport ever since. In his last season of high school, he was ranked in the top 10 nationally in Boys 18. Last season, as a junior at Vanderbilt, he won second team All-SEC honors and finished the season ranked 72nd in singles players with a record of 27-12. But Brown insists on building a life off the tennis court, focusing mainly on music. His younger brother Dan, a junior at Vanderbilt, play the drums, making it easy for Brown to find someone to “jam” with whenever he needs time away from sports. “My brother plays the drums, so we play every once in a while. He actually lives in Morgan right across the lawn from me. I see him usually about four times a week, and we play whenever we get a chance–maybe once a month or every two months, it’s not a lot, but it’s fun. I’ve always liked music. It takes my mind off everything. With tennis, I don’t think about it when I’m off the court.” Brown took guitar lessons for a year and has taught himself ever since. Although tennis has always kept him busy, he’s always made time for music. “I never really had time for being in a band. It was just something I did on my own. I went to a tennis academy junior and senior year of high school, so I never really had time to play with anyone. I took lessons for a year when I started out, but since then I’ve been teaching myself, ” he explains. Brown is planning on graduating in December. While he plans on trying to play on the pro-tour next year, he knows he wants music to continue to be a part of his life. “I’m going to try tennis out for a year, the pro tour, and maybe see how music goes. I’ve always wanted to get into music…it’s just something that I’m always going to love to do. Even if I don’t make it on the pro tour, or in a rock band or anything, I’d just love teaching it, so even if I can do that–teach tennis and guitar–that’s be another good back-up, I just love teaching.” “If everything in life went the way that I wanted it? Well, if it’s a dream, then my career would definitely involve both, tennis and music, but that realistically won’t happen… yeah,” he laughs, “I can’t be in a rock band and play on the pro-tour at the same time.” Well, you never know. Currently, Brown is tied with Interim Assistant Coach Chad Harris for all-time wins in Vanderbilt tennis history. Brown and Harris are knotted up at 172. Brown has a chance to go for the record this weekend as the Commodores host Kentucky. |
