Shot taken at the Lysakov Gallery in Pacific Grove - 65° Magazine

PERSONA 80
Born in Sanger, California under ordinary circumstances,
Saroyan was left to investigate the
world in a way not possible today. Part of the
baby boomer generation, he was left to his own
devices much of the time. This helped him foster
a sense of independence and curiosity that would
later advance his successes. But for then, it led
him in other directions, the most constant, being
drumming. Playing in diverse bands, with styles
ranging from jazz to rock, music was “his life.”
However, understanding the prospects of a kit
drummer, Saroyan tried his hand at architecture
following a high school drafting class. In his words,
“Do you know why no good drummers have
surfaced in the last 15 years? Because Al Saroyan
became an architect.”
Indeed, after studying for five years, Saroyan
received a bachelor’s degree in architecture with
a minor in business from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
in 1970. yet, the degree was hard won.
Throughout his youth, Saroyan struggled to
read, barely passing subjects such as English and
history. In high school, when he told his dean of his
desire to study architecture in college, the dean
chided that Saroyan should attend a trade school
instead. Nonetheless, Saroyan worked hard in
junior college and transferred to Cal Poly. There,
he encountered a variety of peripheral issues that
threatened to slow his achievement.
Falling behind in trigonometry class, Saroyan’s
teacher recommended a tutor with whom Saroyan
worked diligently up to three times per week
studying the problems the instructor warned would
be on the final exam. Saroyan received a 96% on
that test; however, the instructor refused to believe
the score was the result of “hard work,” and issued
Saroyan a “D” in the class for cheating.
”Do you know why no good drummers have surfaced in the last 15 years? Because
Al Saroyan became an architect.”
It wasn’t until Saroyan’s eldest son was diagnosed
with dyslexia that Saroyan was able to put a name
to the difficulty that offered him such challenges
in school.
Nevertheless, Saroyan pioneered his own architecture/construction
business, wherein he eschews
assembly-line production and does everything
in-company, overseeing projects from land or
building purchase, to design, to construction, and
finally, to sale. Much like his musician days, he
directs every snare and cymbal and wouldn’t have
it any other way. Of course, this requires extreme
dedication and focus, to the partial exclusion of
other interests. Excellence requires it, and Saroyan
is willing to pay that price, not wanting to be the
proverbial jack-of-all-trades, master of none.
Saroyan’s completed a variety of projects both
commercial and domestic. His favorite piece,
however, is “always the one I’m working on.” He
relishes new projects as opportunities to express
his latest inspiration or idea, despite the temptation
of recycling a previous success.
yet, Saroyan doesn’t forgo all activities beyond
building design. He does manage some time
for his most recently explored hobbies, be they
painting, golfing, or attending his youngest son’s
baseball games. He just doesn’t take it as seriously
as he does his work, because there are simply not
enough hours in a lifetime to pursue everything to
the fullest extent he’s capable of.
Once upon a time he would be termed homo
unversalis, that rare person who pursues all
knowledge, driven by his own hunger for acquiring
skills and understandings. Today, he is content to
be termed master builder.
And after talking to Saroyan, one realizes that
architecture is one of the few careers that could
occupy the man for long. His plans for retirement
include taking his business abroad; in other words,
not retiring at all. This is entirely fitting for Saroyan,
however. One does not imagine his drive to create
diminishing, but rather, refining.
So goes the man as well, becoming more distinguished,
with each endeavor, avoiding the one
sorrow, which is, according to John Bradshaw, not
becoming who we were meant to be. °