#1
Music
has always been a significant part of my life. This may seem strange to some of
my children (Hear them? Really!?!) Maybe
it's better said that music was always in the background. (Better?) Best to
understand any
story,
one must have the context for adequacy.
As the
younger generations may not know, I was an orphan of sorts. My father was
killed in an auto-train accident when I was only 13 months of age. As a result
my earliest "conscious" recollections have to do with my life with
the family of my mother- the "Walter H. Chaddock" family. As I
became older more "Kuhls became real" parts of my life , but as a
young child my associations were all with the " Chaddocks".
My
earliest fixed recollections are associated with the holiday get-togethers of
our small group and the other "Chaddocks". There were uncles (3),
aunts (3), cousins (4), Mother and Grandma. By that time Grandpa was gone.
(They
said I'd been his shadow, as a tot). After the mid-day holiday meal, the chairs
and small tables were pushed back to the wall or to the parlor, any way so the
festivities could begin!
Grandma
played the piano, my uncles all played the" Bones"and/ or the mouth
organ.-and so the music would begin! Piano tones, humming, mouth organ music,
dancing and the clacking of the "bones"--and we were off!
The
older couples began rather in a stately fashion, but soon, words filled the air
with such words as we'd never heard before! Schottisch, Reels, Waltzes, Fox
trots, and so on! We all made great efforts to dance, hum and other wise enjoy
ourselves. After a suitable time Mother and Grandma would switch(at the piano)
as would partners, etc. and things continued with giggles, squawks, squeals,
etc! -Taking over! This weird and wild showing would
last an
hour or so, then we all ran out of gas! The young folks were just catching on
and the old folks pooped! Sitting was a mistake! We all deflated like ballons
and giggled and laughed, etc,.etc.,and so to the nap department!
Another
happy holiday!
Mother
was a real legitimate musical person who had a fine soprano voice, played
"cello", piano and other instruments and taught piano lessons. The
family had been Presbyterians but she left the Presbyterian Choir to con- duct
and manage the choir at the Emmanuel Baptist Church and did so. I presume there
were sums of money involved, but that was never discussed in my presence. She
did her job well and after a length of time became en-
gaged
to Edward S. Dean, a member of that choir, whom she married. Her association
with the Emmanuel Baptist Choir continued….And so did I.
Mother
gave piano lessons, so scales and basic melodies were part of my life as I
looked over the bust of Beethoven on the piano. My personal introduction to
piano lessons lasted about two weeks. --The punting of the football in the
street was much more attractive to me than confinement to the piano bench and
rudimentary scales! To her credit she did not try to force me.
Lila
has consented to help me in this area. She was the most musical of our
generation , so I feel she should "Give a good go" to us!
I will
return to continue with the "Kuhl Family Music" Involving schools,
and the rest as it unrolls!
.
Love,"
Grandpa"
Music Grandpa Story, "Sort of"-
Scholastic-- #2
In the
primary grades we began singing Christmas carols. I can just imagine the
"awesome"
feelings
a first grade teacher has starting out on Christmas carols. --too
gruesome! At any rate it's about all the poor teachers were up to -to work
with the squawkers, shouters and "mummies" in the class. If the
teacher were lucky there were two or three in the class that could carry a tune
and blend in. My first grade class was large- between 30 and 50. Needless
to say, I didn't count them.
As I
recall, in 3rd grade, instruction in instruments was first offered. Some
instruments were furnished,
and some were made obtainable by some means. At that time, Ruth took up the
"cello" and did
a fine job of it! (So what's new?)
I wasn't
interested at the time, but Mother encouraged me to take up some
instrument. As a result
I have a vague recollection of an interview including Mother, the head of the
department of music for the schools and
myself. The only discussion I recall is that my teeth and the playing of a flute didn't encourage a
happy career.
Thinking
about -Why the flute?-makes me remember that the only instrument player of any
local renown was "Bill Coon", who was a flautist of great reputation.
He was a Seneca Indian which made him more fascinating, but
also he had at least two sons who were professionals, a lawyer and a doctor, who
had gone to McGill University in Canada! How attractive can one
family be?
I
believe it was in 4th grade that a circulating music teacher appeared and took
over the real task of teaching us to sing as a group. By the time she was
through we could listen to her note on the little mouth organ and take off
singing. Wondering what that little sound had to do with our singing. Not too bad,
anyway.
If
memory serves me correctly, it was about 5th grade that Walter Damrosch
appeared. He had a wonderful program called "The Music Appreciation
Hour" which was on NBC and taught us about classical music, operas,
the stories and the composers of these works. The class was held in the "music
room" , the program was on the radio, and was a wonderful presentation of
that subject. Many were fascinated and I'm sure many future lovers of
classical music were introduced to the
world of fine music at that time. (It was broadcast from 1928-1942)
From
elementary school we went to 8th grade (at the High School), and there I was in
"The
Boys
Glee Club", Ruth was in "The Girls Choral". We both were in
"The Choristers", the mixed group supposedly composed of the
better voices. Later, I was a sailor in the crew of " H.M.S. Pinafore," an opera by
Gilbert and Sullivan. I'm sure Ruth was in other musical presentations,
but as a student 2 yrs. ahead of
her, I was not observant of her obvious talents and presentations. Too bad we
started late in this story!
Love Grandpa (There'll
be more)
I enjoyed music in high school. Singing in "The Choristers" made me think in the last few retrospective months, wondering where the music director had the intestinal fortitude to put me in the better group. -- The answer, I think, was that he knew I always sang next to my good friend, Paul Ruhland, who was an excellent musician could read music, and play the trumpet and carry a tune! I could carry a tune , but had to be led there(by Paul), reading music was other worldly. I could tell by the music that the sound went up or down, but the "how far" was my problem!
When I tried out for the college choral group, I'm sure that was what eliminated me. (And why not?)
So in college, my role was passive in music.
In contrast, Ruth (Grandma Kuhl to you) who played the "cello"; sang in high school, and in college. The college group called "The Schola Cantorum," was mixed and sang many engagements at other colleges, high schools, etc. In addition, she sang for an Episcopal church to aid the choir, for a small retainer, and as a senior had a lead in the college opera. The opera took place when I was in med school, so I did not attend.
As teen-agers we were exposed to "The Saturday Night Hit Parade". As a morning paper boy,i did not have much exposure to that. I don't know about Ruth, since that "was before my time". However, we both had exposure to scout and "Y" camps, where we became exposed tothe songs of that type. Such gems as "Sweet Adeline", "Sweet Ivory Soap", "Clementine" and"the Cannibal King", etc. were enjoyed to the fullest. In addition in German class I learned such wonders as "Du,Du, liegst mir im Herzen," "Ach Du Lieber Augustine" , and "Schnitzelbank" along with other songs of German origin. In church I was exposed to the common hymns, but Ruth at that time had essentially no exposure to religious music.
In college, as a freshman, my chief work to help stay in college, was a "soda jerk" and received plenty of exposure to the popular music of the day. It was "The Big Band Era" so I heard plenty of the music of the times, courtesy of the coins of the students in the juke boxes. My hours were 8-11 thirty so that was the time! “The September Song,” became our theme song of sorts after. (Ruth was not in college… at that point-we were married…11 Sept 1943)
