Re: Today's question


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Posted by Tom Railsback on February 24, 2001 at 11:31:21:

In Reply to: Today's question posted by Carl L on February 24, 2001 at 10:27:58:

I would have to say my senior year in high school, 1964-65; gosh, that really dates me.
We had this young band director who was fantastic. He took our band to State Festival
all three years he taught in my hometown and we got I's every time, doing Finlandia,
Elsa's Procession, and Chant and Jubilo. Of course, he had come into an established program which made it easier. He was the kind of guy you loved working for; came from
a tiny town in West Central Kansas. He introduced me to Beethoven, Wagner, and Richard Strauss; but we also played fun stuff like Sousa (still my favorite composer) and
dixieland.
I had planned on going into civil engineering but that spring something got me turned off on that. I even preenrolled in CE at Fort Hays State but I soon found I didn't like it and I transferred to Theory I the first week of school. I wasn't the best theory student; I still can't do dictation or sight singing but I kept on for five years. My
low brass instruictor, Lyle Dilley, was the band director and we remain close friends. In fact, I have been told that his next door neighbor, a traveling salesman who crossed
paths with my dad and uncle frequently, said that Lyle thought I was one of the most
honest students he had.
I never taught music as I don't have the temperament to work with younger individuals,
but I have been fortunate in being able to live in places where I can play. I returned
to FHS after my brief Army career (?) and got second major in history where I became interested in frontier Army (1865-1890) bands. I did my Master's thesis on that and was later fortunate enough to be introduced to an individual who helped me have it published.
My ultimate goal is to recreate the 18th Infantry's band as it was constituted in 1886
but I don't know if I'll eer succeed. In the meantime, I play in three different bands
here in Great Falls MT and collect tubas.


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