| Re: "My" kids
I had a couple of youth ensemble teachers when I was in junior and high scool. The first important one was a gent named David Rosenthal from NJ. He's the reason you and I are sitting here talking. He, at the end of the first season with the manhattan Boro-wide youth band and orchestra program gave me a scholarship that enabled me to study with Jimmy Smith of the Philharmonic.
About 10 or so years ago we were playing a concert in Avery Fischer and one of the guys said "Hey, Manny, there's a guy at the edge of the stage who said he gave you a scholarship when you were a kid." My eyes widened and I said "Mr. R?" Sure enough I made it to the stage edge, jumped off and met someone who I hadn't seen since my teen years. I bawled like a friggin' baby and was so happy to have him see me play after so long and have him know that I was doing okay. We played excerpts from Der Rosenkavier at that show with deWaart.
A few years ago I played Carnegie with Oue and I think Heldenleben was on tap for that night. After the show, I went upstairs to change into normal clothes and I saw a fellow that was unmistakeably someone else very important to me. It was Jerry Goldstein, former bass clarinetist with Pittsburgh who left to teach in NYC. He was an assistant conductor with the All City High School orchestra. I went up to him and said "Mr. Goldstein?" He said in his characteristic "Yeah, hi. Whozis?" I smiled and told him I used to play trumpet for him in All City and for a couple of summers in a summer orchestra program he ran. "Manny? Hey, how ya doon?" I told him how everything was and told him about MYS. He was tickled and proud. So proud he yelled across the crowded area to a friend "Hey, Sid... hey ya see this? He's one o' mine!"
I mention both of these gents because what I learned from them was it okay to have passion for something and to let it all hang out once in a while. I learned how to play loud with Rosenthal because he'd call me "bacalao" if I didn't put out (bacalao is a dried piece of salted cod used in Puerto Rican cooking). Goldstein would always speak with great intensity and conduct everything as though it were the greatest piece in the world.
So, when I think of my development, when I think of the importance of working with young ones I think of the hundreds of lessons these two men taught me just by being themselves. They weren't touchy-feely types that asked me about my self esteem. They didn't coax the music out of me, they demanded it and did whatever it took to get it. They loved music and they would be damned if I didn't learn to love it, too.
That's why I do what I do, guys. That's why I love working with kids so much. You've been very kind in your praise of me and i appreciate your acknowledgement but the thread isn't about me, seriously. It's about the rush of making kids aware of that which makes them different from other kids without having to resort to tatoos and piercings to be different. The difference that comes form deep inside is what's going to carry these boys and girls through extraordinarily difficult times we adults have provided for them.
Self esteem is not something you get from anybody but yourself or by talking about it. It comes through achievement. Sometimes it's something simple, sometimes it's through something extraordinary. Whether it's Glenn in band every friggin' day, RichardWY in English classes of the past, Yoder teaching math and science or me here at MYS it's all about the same thing: passion for the subject and the desire to share that info because it moves you to do so.
My wish for all of you is that whatever you do, I hope it's something you wnat to do. There's no sweeter joy other than family than to do what you love.
Sorry for the rant. I just wanted to make sure you all understood the reason for the initial post. thanks.
ML |