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Finding a Homeplace in Music and the Next Generation Mountain Folk Band CD Benefit for Readers When Berks Countains think bluegrass, they think of “East Side” Dave Kline. His foot-tapping music is revered throughout bluegrass circles, in Berks and beyond. His group, the Mountain Folk Music Band, has performed at the Berks County Fiddle Festival, Kutztown Folk Festival, Riverfest, Lyons Fiddle Festival, Cherry Blossom Festival and with Rhonda Vincent & the Rage. The person behind the guitar is just as engaging Riddle Answers Answers to Word Scramble, Music Question and Riddles in Last News of Note On page 2 of our Summer 2009 News of Note, we challenged the county’s music teachers to write about the mentor who inspired them, and we challenged our readers with a word scramble, a music theory question, and several riddles. Here are the answers: Word Scramble How many English words can you find within “bassoon”? We found the following 15: An Bassoon Snob As Boon So Ass Boss Sob Ban Nab Son Bass On Soon Music Question If the clef alone were changed from bass to treble, a bassoonist’s C major arpeggio would represent the dominant chord in what other key? This one is tricky! Changing the clef alone, the C major arpeggio (or broken chord) would contain the notes A, C and E in the treble clef, which would sound as an a minor chord and be the dominant chord in the key of d minor. To keep the chord a major chord would require that we sharp its third to become a C#, and that chord would be the dominant chord in the key of D major. Riddles By four new scholarship programs in 2004 and 2005, 2 • NEWS OF NOTE • CAMPAIGN 2009 SPECIAL OFFER: Dave has graciously agreed to donate the proceeds of the CD to the David L. Kline Family Mountain Folk Family Fund if purchased through the Reading Musical Foundation from now until April 15, 2010. Please contact Keri Shultz, RMF Executive Director, at (610) 376-3395 or kshultz@readingmusicalfoundation.org. Hurry, only a limited number of these autographed CDs are available! as the man on the stage. Dave Kline, a trustee who recently rejoined the board of the Reading Musical MOUNTAIN FOLK, continued on page 10 how did RMF itself answer the challenge posed to the county’s music teachers? Between December of 2004 and June of 2005, RMF honored Kim Webster, Ann Cusano, Don Hinkle, Peter Brye and Willis Rapp for their extraordinary efforts as music teachers in Berks County by appending their names to a total of four new permanent music scholarship programs at RMF. These represented the Foundation’s first permanent scholarships named for living persons. Jim Seidel was honored at the same time by RMF’s commission of a new work for concert band, “Music in the Wings,” premiered by The Ringgold Band the following April. What does a bassoon have to do with all of this? Please read the article on the following page about the gift of a new bassoon to RMF’s instrument-lending program in honor of Edward J. Gobrecht, Jr., a retired member of the Ithaca College music faculty. Want more puzzles? Complete the special RMF-edition crossword puzzle on page 15. Answers will be listed on our website or by calling RMF at (610) 376-3395.
With the Gift of a Bassoon to RMF, I Honor a Former Music Teacher, Edward J. Gobrecht, Jr. by C. Thomas Work The characteristics of great teachers and great leaders are equally elusive. Like great leaders, great teachers are passionate about their calling, inspire, and invariably bring out the best in those who choose to follow their lead. An idiosyncrasy or two often memorialize them. Most folks would say of both groups, “You know one when you see one.” And that might be the best we can do to define both great teachers and great leaders. Edward J. Gobrecht, Jr. was one of five children born to a shoemaker and his wife in Hanover, Pennsylvania, 85 years ago. By the age of five, Ed had learned the cornet, and by seven was performing with the Penngrove Band, Redman’s Band in East Berlin, and Southern York County Band. He eventually learned to play nearly every instrument of the concert band and, as a child, occasionally conducted bands in his father’s place when his father had conflicting engagements. Confronted with the choice of an oboe, a bassoon or a French horn to play in junior high school, Ed picked the one with the oddest sound and appearance - the bassoon! Six months later, Ed was playing bassoon with the York Symphony under Louis Vyner, a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music who later led the Reading Symphony Orchestra, from 1961 until 1976. At 16 years of age, Ed became the principal bassoonist of the Harrisburg Symphony. Because he was still in public C. Thomas Work school, Ed required his high school principal’s permission for early dismissal so that he could perform with Harrisburg’s orchestra! But Ed credits four summers of music camp with his decision to devote his life to music performance and music teaching. Ed was drafted into World War II soon after his enrollment as a music student at Ithaca College in 1942. Upon his return to the College in 1946, he was drafted again, this time to the Curtis Institute of Music, by his bassoon teacher, Edward J. Gobrecht, Jr. Sol Schoenbach. Dr. Schoenbach fudged Curtis’ rules by having Ed admitted at the relatively advanced age of 23 years. The woodwind faculty at Curtis, who also occupied the Philadelphia Orchestra’s principal woodwind chairs, were world-renowned in the late 1940s and consisted of flutist William Kincaid, clarinetist Robert McGinnes, and oboist Marcel Tabuteau, in addition to Dr. Schoenbach. Ed received his performance certificate from Curtis in 1950. After performing with the orchestras of New Orleans and Baltimore for nearly 12 years, Ed was recruited onto the music faculty of Ithaca College by Dean Craig McHenry in 1962. In comparison to his two interrupted stays as a student, this tenure would be a long one. Ed remained on the faculty for 28 years, teaching bassoon and serving as conductor of the College’s Symphonic Band and, after Walter Beeler’s retirement, its Concert Band. While I cannot vouch for his demeanor as a bassoon teacher, I vividly recall his rehearsals of the Ithaca College Symphonic Band. Spicing a smorgasbord of the best teaching methods were lessons for a lifetime. Two such lessons recurred frequently and were always heartfelt: First, no music is worth playing unless it is played musically. Second, tolerance of mediocrity is a capital offense! “Gobie’s” students would bear the imprint of his passion for excellence in music education and BASSOON, continued on page 8 CAMPAIGN 2009 • NEWS OF NOTE •
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