RCEditions

In more than one way, Debbie Thompson taught me how to teach. She was both of my children's cello teacher. With my older child Lauren, who had studied violin at a very young age (possibly too young), and then cello with a local after schoolteacher, it wasn't going well. So we looked for another teacher. I remember the first lesson--Debbie was organized, demanding and KIND (The primary requisite missing in many teachers, sadly). Lauren was beaming. She had to get an 8 1/2 x 11 notebook, as Debbie asked, and she was to prepare for a recital, just like the othe 40+ students, the dates were set, etc. etc. It was expected that they would learn the music, and approached in the same personal style as Suzuki,(forget about the descriptively incorrect description of Suzuki musicians, which does not give Suzuki proper credit, for seeing the big picture, and the PERSON) whose book on teaching children was on the table as I walked in, and which I read while waiting. Suzuki was still alive at the time--and I knew as I was listening to Debbie teach, that I was in the presence of a great teacher. My daughter stayed with Debbie for many years, and still credits her with developing her love of the cello. Lauren has gone on to a wonderful career. And, yes she does read music (to all the Suzuki 'critics;' and in fact very difficult music and all kinds, by Birtwhistle, Wuorinen, Ligeti, Reich as well as Chopin and Debussy.

All the concert saxophonists I have known as colleagues, including:

John Sampen has been a wonderful colleague over the years, one of the first phone numbers I memorized, and one that never changed. With the unchanging phone number as metaphor, John was stable, and once arrived at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, established as fine a saxophone program as there exists anywhere, while maintaining his own high artistic standards, raising a family with his wife (and pianist), Marilyn Shrude--and being there whenever I had a question or an idea. John helped tremendously in developing a network for World-Wide Concurrent Premieres and Commissioning Fund, Inc., as we discussed pieces, saxophone fingerings, multiphonics, shared expenses hosting out of country performers, etc. etc. He practices in the morning every day, as far as I know, always in the office, always pleasant and always prepared. The only thing that has changed is that he has gotten 'better.' John puts that into practice every day. The CONSTANT is that we have to try to improve. John has. It takes a lifetime, and that is how it should be. Tim McAllister, Taimur Sullivan and Otis Murphy, are three of the most talented, finest saxophonists I have ever heard. They are models for the next generation after mine. (They have both developed teaching and performing careers by being at the top of their profession in terms of ability, and by being good and decent. Their personalities are different, and thus their 'tones' (take any and all meanings you wish from the word). For the most part, 'SCHOOLS' of playing have disappeared, and the predominant number of saxophonists and teachers I know, have strived to develop a highly personal, yet cosmopolitan style. Marcel Mule, Al Gallodoro, Sigurd Rascher, Donald Sinta, Fred Hemke, Eugene Rousseau, Jean-Marie Londeix, Daniel Deffayet, Harvey Pittel, Serge Bertocchi, Arno Bornkamp, Pierre-Stephane Meuge, Jean-Michele Goury, Marcus Weiss and Claude Delangle, Steve Mauk, Lynn Klock all have been an inspiration to me, and every person should listen to their recordings (And I have left others out, as there are dozens more to name. There is plenty to learn from everyone, and to not listen to as many other artists (like Casals, Heifetz, Piatigorsky, Rostropovich, Jacqueline DuPre, Michael Rabin, YoYo Ma just to name a few) as saxophonists, is to be incomplete as a person. And I must say, barring only one or two glaring examples) that musicians in general and saxophonists in particular are the most wonderful and caring group of beings as a whole that I have known, outside my own Temple Isaiah. You hear a musician's humanity in their playing, and that is how we musicians try to contribute to our civilization, as we are all make what we hope is a small contribution toward the greater good of all.

A Salute to (My) Teachers

7. 'We get by with a little help from our friends' - thanks to The Beatles (cont.)