Musical Family

11-year-old trumpet player














You had to be in the third grade to join the school band in the Plainfield NJ school system.  I decided to take up the trumpet, not because I really wanted to, but because my big brother, Bill, played the trumpet and I wanted to be like him.  He was six years older than me.  My parents weren't sure that was the best instrument for me, something about my lips not fitting the mouthpiece, but since that was what I wanted to do, they let me.

Music was a big part of our growing up, but our parents weren't obsessive about it, encouraging, but not insistent that we learn an instrument or become musicians.  Before my dad got married he was in a band called the Merrymen.  But he had to stop playing when he lost all his teeth, neglect I believe, you can't play the trombone professionally with a set of false teeth. He would play once in a while when friends and family came over, but by the time I got to high school, he quit playing and gave his trombone to my sister who actually turned out to be a very good trombone player.

I struggled to learn sight-reading music, never made it passed 3rd chair.  My uncle was the band instructor, never treated me any differently than the other students.  I do remember one time when he was upset with the horn section as we kept messing up.  He had each of us play the part, solo and then would critic how we did.  He told the rest of the group that none of them played as well as I, and he told them how badly I did because he had spent the summer listening to me practice and knew I did not know the piece very well.  I was embarrassed but also felt pretty good that I did better than the rest of them.  I gave it up around the 8th grade, never joined the high school band.

Dad's Band

He's on the far right, trombone player

I never heard of this band, it might have been taken during the summer he was in a house band in the Poconos.  This would have been in his early 20's before he was married.  


Both my brother and sister took piano lessons when they were in the 7th/8th grade from Grace Hull.  I remember going to their recitals at the end of the year.  These were almost formal events, where the performers dressed up in suits or dresses.  They took place in Ms Hull living room, so they were intimate affairs.  Harriet and Bill worked hard to learn the song they played at the recitals. I never got to take lessons, both Harriet and Bill were in college by the time it was my turn and I guess my parents were pretty broke by that time and couldn't afford lessons.  Bill ended up teaching me a few cords and I pretty much taught myself how to play.  We did drive my mother crazy playing chopsticks.