Dave Stringer

All Music Guide:

Dave Stringer got an early start with musical experimentation. He was only nine years old when he recorded ?Within You, Without You? on a reel-to-reel machine, cut the tape into pieces of varying lengths, then spliced them together at random. Where do you go from there? Stringer chose a path that would lead him through participating in jazz ensembles and choirs, creating sonic art and experimental films, to an internship at Columbia Pictures. A film editing project that sent him to a meditation ashram in India would further seal his fate. Until that time, his only dabbling in Eastern ?spiritual? practices was a bit of hatha yoga to ease his back pain. Once at the ashram, Stringer began to soak up the Sanskrit mantras that were chanted throughout the day. Initially, he kept his distance, picking out the tunes on his dulcimer and accordion just for fun. Soon enough he was drawn into this other world and chose to stay in India after his project was finished. Though he studied some with the ashram?s musicians, it was through his volunteer work at a local elementary school that he really learned about kirtan chanting. Upon his return to Los Angeles, film editing paid his bills, but chanting held his heart. On the side, Stringer taught meditation, chanting, and hatha yoga to prison inmates through a volunteer organization. Around that same time, he began recording some songs and invitations to lead chanting programs for various groups started to come his way. First only in L.A., then New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Detroit, and beyond. Gradually, chanting became Stringer?s full-time gig and has led to collaborations with Donna De Lory, Lionel Cole, Greg Ellis, and Azam Ali, among others. He has also performed with the two pioneers of kirtan, Krishna Das and Jai Uttal. In 2002, his debut CD Brink was released which features an easy blend of original English compositions and traditional Sanskrit chants.

Wikipedia:

Dave Stringer (born Great Yarmouth 15 October 1944), is a former player and manager of Norwich City football club.

As a player, he won the fans' vote to be Norwich City player of the year in 1972 and made a total of 499 appearances for the club. He ended his playing career with Cambridge United before returning to Norwich city to coach the youth team, winning the FA youth cup in 1984. He went on to manage the reserve team and was appointed first team manager on 9 November 1987 following the sacking of Ken Brown.

In his first season as Norwich manager, 1987-88, he guided the club to 14th place in the Football League First Division. The following season was arguably the best in the club's history, as they featured in the league title race and topped the league at several stages before finishing fourth, and also reached the semi finals of the FA Cup. They were one of several teams (the others including Liverpool and Nottingham Forest) who were in contention for the double that season, and perhaps the most unlikely. They finished 10th in 1990 but dipped to 15th in 1991, and their 18th place finish in 1992 was the closest they had yet come to relegation since being promoted in 1986. They reached the FA Cup semi finals again in 1992 and this time were faced with a seemingly far easier challenge than they had been faced with three years earlier (when they had clashed with Everton), as they were now paired with Sunderland who were a division below them. However, they were once again deprived of playing in their first ever FA Cup final as the Wearside club defeated them.

Stringer resigned as manager on 1 May 1992 and was succeeded by Mike Walker.

During his time as manager at Carrow Road he signed key players including Robert Fleck, Andy Linighan, David Phillips and Tim Sherwood as well as bringing through young players including Ruel Fox and Chris Sutton.

As a child, he grew up in Southtown Great Yarmouth; The Sun later reported that he was the man who "played against cows" because he practised his dribbling skills with bovine assistance.

In 2002, Stringer was named an inaugural member of the Norwich City Hall of Fame.