RCEditions

Jeff Lerner, is the former clarinet/bass clarinet w/Houston Symphony and longtime, Univ. of Houston clarinet and saxophone professor. Jeff has a great spirit and strength, which allows him to go on. He is a survivor on many levels. From a musical point of view, having just a few years ago played a favorite work of mine, Viktor Ullmann's 'Emperor of Atlantis,' in Houston, for which Jeff asked me to return to play, one of the big thrills was sitting next to my former teacher, who clearly must be the BEST 80+ year old clarinet player in the world! Jeff played the most interesting recitals at the University of Houston. Many were thematic; all-English, French, new music etc., and I have taken that cue from him in my own recitals. My first lesson in high school was a bit scary though. Jeff identified everything that was wrong with my playing within minutes, and by the end of the lesson I was in tears. But he said to work hard and come back the next week (and so did my parents), so I did, and I kept on improving, modestly. As Jeff said, according to my mother, who only in later years told me, 'he's (ken is) no great shakes as a saxophonist.' Jeff, also began teaching me clarinet, because, though I had a dream to be a musician and a saxophonist, he felt clarinet (which was his major instrument), would offer me more musical and performance career possibilities, and he was right (in part). I entered the University of Houston as an average high school saxophonist, still playing 5th chair in the band (tenor saxophone), and splitting my lessons with the graduate assistant teachers and Jeff Lerner over the next few years. Steve Hoyle, David Salge, Delmer Simpson-- Were these guys really role models, or a version of 'The Intern,' in which like all doctors, they promise with the Hypocratic Oath, to do no harm. They all had personality, enthusiasm, (in varying degrees), and were pretty good models for having a sense of humor (Hoyle had just been drafted in 1970-not a good time, and wrote, 'Propty. of US Army' on all his belongings, Delmer was concerned with sound and mechanics, and David was a great musician, philosophical and with a lot of style--he and I have stayed in touch over the years. His performance of Alec Templeton's 'Pocket Size Sonata,' was the model for my recording for my Boston Records 'Fascinatin' Rhythms’ some years ago. Jeff was their teacher, and my teacher. He encouraged me, to listen to recordings of saxophonists, and to study with others. And Harvey Pittel played concerts in Texas that year.

Harvey Pittel was the first really professional saxophone solo artist I had heard live. I heard Harvey play the Ingolf Dahl Concerto with the North Texas State University Band, under Maurice McAdoo, and said to myself. I want to do that, and I can do that. Harvey was always very encouraging. I followed him around Texas, where he was touring all year, and remember driving to Waco, where he played Ibert Concertino with the Waco Symphony Pops, conducted by Daniel Sternberg. The concert also included 'The Arkansas Traveler,' as one of the Pops pieces! The combination of characters, music and location was almost surreal but I was having the time of my life. I later studied with Harvey at West Texas State University Band Camp (summer of 1971), visited California and considered transferring to USC or Cal. State Fullerton, where Harvey taught at the time, but I was not yet ready to leave home. We tried to get Harvey to come to the Univ. of Houston as sax professor, but it was not to to be. Later he joined the faculty at Univ. of Texas, where he remains, and I see him as we occasionally judge together at Texas State Solo and Ensemble Contest.

A Salute to (My) Teachers

2. Early Teachers (cont.)