RCEditions

I want to grow students, and want to teach all of them; and have none ever quit. That is my philosophy. Their best is quite good enough. Other teachers may be more 'demanding' than me, and many produce successful students, with some students quitting along the way, who did not have the developed seriousness of purpose, confidence or self-image to continue. But we all bloom in different seasons. And, I bloomed late. After all, I was in beginner band for 3 years. So, I have always opted for the least amount of attrition in my teaching; I have only a few college students who have left before completing their degrees in over 35 years of teaching. And to me, it means I failed because I didn't reach them fully. I was always one of the weaker players when I was young, and-like many--in fact most!-- of my successful friends-- tell the story of a teacher who told them (or me) that they should look into some other work because they weren't 'good enough to be ...'. For instance, in 1978-during one of my first dates with the Boston Symphony, the tubist Chester Schmitz related the story of how he was told by Arnold Jacobs (Chicago Symphony tubist) to look into some other profession, when he was a student at the Univ. of Iowa. That was before Chester auditioned for the Boston Symphony, where he remained for over 30 years! So, my answer to this is, if we have parents or others that instill confidence and good self-image, it can't hurt to have someone else (me) who does the same thing we hope for in our parents. And, better the student have an embarrassment of riches in those categories, so that he/she pursues whatever dreams he/she might have. Trying and failing is BETTER than not trying or letting fear of failure stop a student from giving it a 'go.' In 'Boys of Fall' on ESPN2, country star Kenney Chesney narrates and chronicles Bill Curry coach Georgia State University, who says, 'every successful football player can tell you the story of some coach (or teacher) who told them they couldn't do that. That those students had things wrong with them that would cause them not to succeed. But those successful ones found a way to keep driving and not stop until they achieved success. Something inside them said keep going. That other coach ruined alot of other players as he tried to recruit them into his negative way of thinking. I don't want to be that other coach.'

As I considered college, my choices were University of Houston or Sam Houston State University, one in Houston and one in Huntsville, Texas. I am very glad I chose the University of Houston, which was a cosmopolitan place, and affordable school for our family (I have 3 siblings). In my mind, the Texas public university system has no peer. Though I knew little about music per se, I liked it, and as an average player at best, I was smart enough as I entered school to realize, that in the larger scheme, I knew NOTHING. So, I went about remediating that. I was, and remain, curious. That is how I believe I have continued to improve. Perhaps I will peak at 85. I hope, later. There is always so much to learn. So, in 1970 I began buying tickets to Houston Grand Opera, Houston Symphony, Arthur Rubinstein, Israel Phil., everything that passed through, summer symphony series, etc. A big moment came in the summer of 1971 as I heard Dvorak's New World Symphony live, for the second time. Now, I thought, I know a piece of music well enough to recognize it, and have listened to enough live music to have heard it twice. That naive thought, for me, was quite a milestone. I was also exposed to great teachers--Clyde Roller, Moreland Kortkamp Roller, Albert Hirsh, Jeffrey Lerner and many of the principals in the Houston Symphony, of whom Ray Weaver (oboe) and Byron Hester (flute) stood out as wonderful players. Weaver was also a fine person, a transcendental oboist (and deaf in one ear, as I am told, from a WW2 experience), who took an interest in my playing. Incidentally, I have had more than several musician friends who have risen to the highest level of performing, with significant hearing loss in one or both ears. Weaver, however was that first model for overcoming a significant physical obstacle directly related to music performance.

A Salute to (My) Teachers

1. Introduction (cont.)

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