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| The challenging oboe, a "double reed" |
Speaking toward simplicity, I'd like to suggest again that Morris area musicians start a brass band, to be showcased at our Killoran stage at East Side Park. Certainly nothing wrong with this idea. It should have been explored many years ago. Remember, this is Morris where we have grand visions about a lot of things but then shrug about actually making the commitment to make them work. We shrug and say "well, we're going to the lake for the weekend," or "we're going to the Cities," or "I don't have time - why don't you do it?"
In spite of this norm, a group of self-styled community leaders once thought we should have the Killoran stage constructed. Great in theory, almost nonexistent in practice. So I look at it and simply ask the obvious question: this place was built for a medium-sized brass band, and certainly to accommodate the Morris Community Band. In the last year of our standard Prairie Pioneer Days, headquartered at the park (of course), I'm told the community band wasn't even asked to perform on the stage. The band would be the most obvious choice for playing there.
So, this fuels the already bandied-about theory that certain influential people here, who occupy their lofty perch by default perhaps, wanted to make the axing of the standard PPD a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is a town where people want to escape to "the lake" on weekends in the warm weather months. Or, to go to "the Cities" when weather turns cooler. They make a living by having a sort of home base here, but beyond that are indifferent if not disapproving.
The community gave up even having a modicum of stability with PPD when it was moved to fall. It retreated from two days to one, prompting Rae Yost at the paper to rather snarkily report in her lead sentence "maybe it should be called Prairie Pioneer Day."
Those exotic instruments
I remember Robin Dunnum playing oboe in the Morris High School band when I did my time there. The unforgettable Peter Timmons was on bass clarinet. No one is surprised that Mr. Timmons is an attorney today. A friend says with a warm heart "I wouldn't want to get in a legal dispute with him." Peter's mom had political distinction with her commitment to Shirley Chisholm when Shirley was breaking ground in the Democratic Party.
The Morris community seemed to have more of a 50/50 breakdown then: Democrats and Republicans. I may be underestimating the number of Democrats today but I would say this: the Trump-oriented Republicans are so strident as to be intimidating and scary. Yes we're close to Halloween: scary. "All lives matter."
The bassoon: I once played with a character named Tom Crossler from Moscow ID who had the bassoon passion. I really think it requires a passion. So what attracts people to these double-reed instruments? A desire to be different? To be sophisticated? The instruments are downright challenging to play. Professor Peter Schickele a.k.a. "PDQ Bach" seemed puzzled by them and did parody of them.
I started on the French horn here in Morris. Seemed like a legitimate and interesting instrument, but I became incredulous at how it seemed to attract nearly all girls. By "nearly" I mean I was the only exception, as I was reminded when Del Sarlette emailed me an old photo from school band that showed a long row of French horn players, all girls except me. Maddening! Why?
So when I took up trumpet for marching band, I felt an urge to gravitate more to that instrument which was nearly 100 percent for boys. We were all more gender-conscious then. In 1972 I played in a large band outside of Morris that had a long row of trumpets that reflected the norm: like "token" girls, one of whom I'd say was ahead of her time because she was brash and powerful in her approach. She happened to be attractive too in a feminine sort of way, if that's not sexist to suggest. She had blond hair. She sat next to me!
By "outside of Morris" I mean, well, Italy, France, England. Rather an exciting experience.
Sarlette says band directors are known to "not put the preacher's kid on tuba." Naturally, preachers are mobile with their professional commitments, kind of sad when you think their kids must say goodbye to old friends, make new ones. But maybe it's not so bad.
VIP with oboe background
Del got to meet an old oboe player a few days ago. He got a VIP visitor to his music store in Morris. This old oboe player was Tina Smith, who happens to be one of Minnesota's two U.S. senators. Quite a privilege to have her stopping by, and I know Del was grinding teeth some because his political inclinations are not in Smith's direction. Sigh, she's a Democrat. Like I said, the lines are drawn much more firmly today between the ideological camps.
Del as a businessman says he must defer to Republicans as a rule, but for an oboe player, could he make an exception? Remains to be seen. He was cordial with Senator Smith.
Anyone who claims to have been an oboe or bassoon player gets pigeon-holed permanently. As for bass clarinet, how could someone like Peter Timmons not be pigeon-holed? Just kidding, Peter. A few years ago I was very saddened to learn that my old compatriot Crossler had come down with cancer and passed away. It was a reminder for me that all generations go through the process of losing members to the usual human infirmities. The boomers have gotten no pass. Our musical idols have been joining the ranks of the deceased, e.g. Eddie Van Helen.
Crossler was an incredible jokester, almost to the point of being a little grating sometimes. That's a fault I can accept and it's something our whole society probably needs more of. I remember as we stopped in Munich for a time and I realized - this was 1972 - there must be a fair number of former Nazis out and around. I was in Europe as a spoiled boomer kid having total fun, so different from why our fathers would have been over there.
Del reflected on oboe player Tina Smith's visit to Sarlettes Music: "I didn't know how to address the senator - Your Highness? Your Eminence? Senator Smith? - so I opted for the latter, but she interrupted me and said "just Tina." Tina told Del she had a secondary instrument as did I. Tina said she played saxophone for college marching band.
"We definitely covered the important stuff," Del said. "She seemed genuinely interested in our store's history, and how we worked with schools etc." Tina clarified her position on PPP for Del, where he had been misled by Republican advertising. You mean Republicans aren't sincere and honest? So will Del vote for Tina? That's a tough thing for speculation. I'd like to twist his arm.
Addendum: Pat Behm was a bassoon player with the Morris High School Class of 1973. She was the daughter of Principal Wally Behm, the "principal to the boomers." Boomers from every community have a firm recollection of the principal who guided them. And the principals (extant) have a vivid memory of us to be sure, a mixed bag to be sure. We were teeming in numbers, like nothing else before or since!
My podcast for Homecoming Friday
We're all thinking of the school Homecoming for this pleasant fall weekend, so I acknowledge this on my "Morris Mojo" podcast. I invite you to visit by clicking:
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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