RCEditions

Terry was my Junior High Band Director in the NASA area, my private teacher for the first couple of years of high school (Clear Creek High School), and he was later one of the first to ask me to play a Concerto with a large group (Clear Lake High School). And unlike Duncan, he really did play the saxophone. Terry had a deep Texas accent, always gregarious and positive, and gave us all a chance to become better. He believed in all of us. That is the essence of the American public school education and music education philosophy. And we could 'challenge' to move up every week. By 7th grade I had caught up, of sorts, and was fifth out of six saxophones (we all remained the same section for the next five years). I constantly 'challenged,' once beating Darryl Malone (now a successful Houston attorney), who told my lawyer sister many years later, 'I let him win.' 2 weeks after that audition I moved back down to 5th and playing tenor saxophone, where I remained throughout high school. But, my joy was playing, and trying to improve (rather than 'winning.' I enjoyed competing with myself much more than 'against' others, and found fulfillment in that sooner than most, and which some musicians and others never realize.

The most valuable musical lesson he gave was a simple one, that of learning the basics of musical vocabulary and putting them into practice. We practiced rhythmic and melodic dictation as a group, we ran to the blackboard to be the first to document a rhythm, we practiced saying articulation as a group, we attached a number to every beat, and had a great sense of time. And, Terry made it fun. We did this as summer band camp. We went to school in the summer, as volunteers, because we knew there was much to learn, and we wanted to be better. Just as students first learn and memorize the alphabet and multiplication tables, Terry Anderson gave us music as a language, and it was as much fun as baseball or football, which we all played, too.

Joe McMullen
The Clear Creek High School Band Director, Joe was always well dressed, every day teaching in a white shirt and black tie, never loosened, and ran a tight ship, in almost military fashion. When Mr. McMullen said to be quiet, we were quiet, and he never raised his voice. But he did have a whistle, although rarely used inside. He was regimented, and later led the band at Texas A&M, which was known as the Corps. And Joe was stoic, to be sure, but at the same time, he loved music, and a very nice person. His son was in the band, also a very nice person and became a minister, if I am not mistaken. Joe brought us these wonderful old transcriptions (the paper was in a state of degradation as I recall) of Tchaikovsky-I'll never forget learning the tenor part to the Finale of Symphony no. 4, Poet and Peasant Overture, and the like. We also played newer work by Francis MacBeth and Vaclav Nelybel (good composers), and Joe brought in Rosario Mazzeo (from the Boston Symphony) and legendary trumpeter Rafael Mendez to give master classes for us. He made us feel that we were worth it, and that if we worked hard, we might be able to do something like them. And though my memory of Mazzeo is, a bit faded, I remember what great enthusiasm Mazzeo had for playing, and brought to us. Joe McMullen first suggested that I begin studying saxophone with Jeff Lerner.

A Salute to (My) Teachers

2. Early Teachers (cont.)