AN INTERVIEW WITH LARRY MAXEY - The University of Kansas

writes a paper any more. Eastman was the birthplace of this degree, the Doctor of
Musical Arts. It was designed specifically for people who were going to teach at the
college level. Obviously, if you are going to play in an orchestra, you don’t need any
degree at all. Being chosen for an orchestra is based strictly on how you play. It’s like
being a baseball player or a soccer player--you don’t need a degree to do that. At
Eastman there was quite a heavy academic component to the D.M.A, but that is less so at
other schools.
Q: Did you have to write something for your master’s too?
A: Yes, I wrote a paper, which was called as “essay”. It amounted to a major research
paper, essentially.
Q: Then you gave recitals too in connection with your degree.
A: Right. And lecture recitals, which were a combination of performance and research and
presentation of your research before you play the piece. I did one on the Copland clarinet
concerto.
Q: Were you married at this time?
A: Yes. Actually, I met Linda on the aforementioned USO show. She was also on that
show.
Q: Playing the marimba?
A: Right. We were touring Europe and getting to know each other. It was just
happenstance. We stayed in contact during the Army years. Then when I took the job at
East Texas, which was right after the Army, she happened to be going to North Texas
State, which was 90 miles away. So we got together on weekends and then when she
graduated, we got married.
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