Day 022: I need a French horn—off to Mainz, Germany
36yearsago.com
Vienna 1971—A Student Journal
A year of music, study, travel, sightseeing &
friends.
Day 22
— I need a French horn—off to Mainz, Germany.
24-August-1971
(Tue.)
TRANSCRIPT
Mainz/Frankfurt
Decided to go to buy my [French] horn.
That night, left for Mainz, Germany on a couchette
(bunk-like cots). When you’re laying down, it seems
that you won’t get sick. You also can sleep, but not
a deep sleep. Altogether, the train ride was pretty
good (10 hrs.).
REFLECTIONS
Keeping very busy certainly means working on the
German class.
I
need to buy a horn. Wham!
Another surprise when looking back 36 years. It feels
like I suddenly make a decision to buy a French horn.
Alas, you know that I must have been thinking of this
all along.
I brought $700 of personal savings to buy my French
horn. I’ll tell you the type of horn I was planning
on buying tomorrow. The hidden clue is that I’m
traveling to Mainz, Germany. What French horn
manufacturer comes from Mainz, Germany? Tomorrow, the
answer.
I know that I was excited, and maybe apprehensive.
Regardless, tomorrow is going to be an interesting
day. Notice how I learned my lesson about train
travel (from a whole whopping 2 days ago), and
decided to get a “sleeper” cabin. It’s not private,
there were, I believe, probably 4 bunks in each
cabin. It sounds like I was more comfortable and less
sick. That’s probably the reason for my earlier train
travel complaint—motion sickness.
How
I got my start in music. It’s time
to let you in on a secret as I tell you how I got my
start in music.
• My parents started me on accordion perhaps in 3rd
or 4th grade. (I think that was my first instrument.)
• In third grade, the band teacher, Mr. S. came in
and taught us “tonette” on a plastic $.25 tonette.
Today, schools give students real “recorders” to play
on. I was good. Mr. S. asked me to join the fourth
grade band. He gave me, for “free,” a large brass
instrument—the baritone horn.
• In fourth grade, I played the baritone horn and
practiced a lot. It’s a big thing for a little kid. I
used to CARRY that thing home (1-1/2 blocks) every
day in its big case, and with books. I must have
loved it. I’m certain that it was the “recognition”
that was bestowed upon me—something like, “John,
you’re good at music.” I continued in the elementary
band for grades 4-6.
• In middle school, grades 7-9, (called “Jr. High
School” long ago), I continued to play baritone horn.
Now, I’m carrying the damned instrument home mostly
every day, AND with school books, for about a mile
each way. Was I nuts or what? Maybe the only praise
that I got was in my musical skills. (Except that my
relatives used to give me quarters and dollars to
play the accordion, as well.)
• I must have been good. In eighth grade, I performed
a solo baritone horn piece with the band backing me
up. Thanks Mr. S. I remember being at the night
concert, being trapped on stage with no exit, and so
I jumped off a 4-foot high stage-pit wall to exit
“stage left.” Truly unorthodox. Thank goodness I
didn’t break my leg. [That’s
the boy, John, always rebellious, make a decision,
don’t ask permission, act on it, don’t look back. I’m
still in trouble today for these same personality
traits.]
• Going to high school, they offered me a “free”
French horn. I was first horn during my high school
years. That must have given me a complex—what
instrument makes the most mistakes? French horn. I
take a few lessons in senior year and get accepted to
college.
• I go to Montclair State College to major in music
education with my major instrument as French horn.
They give me a “free” brand new silver Holton French
horn. I played first horn in Montclair’s bands and
orchestras while completing my degree.
What’s
the secret? I went
through public school without owning an instrument. I
graduated with a B.A. in music and a major in French
horn without owning my major instrument. I didn't
realize how bizarre that was until writing this blog
entry. That’s something!
[Remember,
my mom supported 5 of us boys. We were somewhat poor.
I had good grades and the “system” helped me out. I
am grateful and was fortunate.]
[An
interesting fact—I had a
4-year full-tuition scholarship to go to Montclair
State College from the State of New Jersey. I don’t
remember exactly, but I think the tuition was
“perhaps” $150 a semester or $300 a year? If so, I
got a 4-year college education for about $1,200. Now
that’s value. We need to roll back tuition prices to
these numbers. I could be way off on these numbers.
Just guessing.]
When I went to Vienna to study French horn,
I had no French horn. Time to
buy one.
Tomorrow.
John
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