I bumped into Maestro Resa quite by accident, after not having seen her in decades. She filled me in on her life so far, and about her dream of conducting an adult band. She asked me if I would like to play the clarinet in her band, as she had remembered that I had played it centuries before in high school. I told her that if she had her dream, so did I. I had always wanted to learn how to play the flute. She graciously allowed me to “audition”. After showing me which end of the instrument to blow into, she welcomed me into the band. Eight years, several lessons and countless rehearsals later, I too am fulfilling a lifelong goal. Monday nights are the best night of the week, and not just because I never have to make dinner. Resa, thank you for making MY dream come true.
Some thirty-odd years ago as I was finishing high school, I was forced to make a difficult decision about my future: Music or Medicine. I figured, well, I can always have music, no matter what I do in life. But studying, working raising a family--somehow I never got back to playing the French horn. I still could play the piano, but the piano is a lonely instrument! My kids went to a school that didn't have a music program until last year, and I was delighted when they finally introduced a concert band program.
"Wow", I told my youngest daughter, the only one to benefit from this program, "Now you can experience the wonderful feeling of making music with a group of people. The camaraderie, the laughter, the thrill of hearing your small piece of the musical puzzle fit into a beautiful, complex piece of music. The joy of performing for an appreciative audience." Things I have missed since I put down the French horn so many years ago.
"But Mom", she replied, "I don't want to take music." I was so disappointed. But, I realized that I was trying to re-live my "glory days" vicariously , through my children. This past summer, I was introduced to Resa's Pieces at a casual dinner with friends, among them, R.P. Flautist, Susan Wainstock. "You should join," Susan encouraged me. My response was, "But I haven't played in over 30 years!" Well, it is sort of like riding a bike! I am thrilled to have joined the band and am enormously grateful to Susan and Resa for encouraging me to give it a try. Also, thanks to my fellow band members who have welcomed me so warmly into the fold!
Music has been a huge part of my life. My Dad was a "song and dance"
man in the Yiddish theatre in Romania and briefly in Toronto until my
Mother told him to get a real job. I was exposed to all kinds of
music growing up and took the mandatory piano lessons and played the
flute in the high school band and orchestra, where participating in
the Kiwanis Festivals was a highlight of my high school years.
I
incorporated my love of music in my career as a kindergarten teacher
(and sometimes choir director)-playing and singing my way through to my
retirement. One night several years ago at a bridge game, I mentioned
how much I'd love to be in a band and pick up the flute again-one of
the ladies told me about her friend Dahlia [Solomon] and Resa's Pieces. A real
stroke of luck! We had a good laugh about the state of my embouchure
and I called Resa. I'm thrilled to be making music again and sharing
the camaraderie of our band.
I was introduced to the clarinet in Grade 7 and from then until I
graduated High School, being a member of the band was one of the most
pleasurable things in my life. In grade 10 I switched to bass clarinet
and I loved its deep rich tones. We worked hard and
competed (and won) in the Kiwanis Music Festival each year. Being a
member of the band defined who I was.
3 years ago I heard about
Resa's Pieces and am so grateful to have the opportunity to play in a
band again. It makes me feel like I have recaptured a part of my life
that has long passed but was so important to me. I look forward to
Monday night rehearsals and enjoy working together to create beautiful
music. Thank you Resa for your dedication and creating this terrific
band.
I played the flute in Junior High School and then in Grade 10 at Mackenzie Collegiate, but couldn’t fit music class into my schedule after that because of a previous commitment. I had hoped to continue at least playing in the band, even though I wasn’t taking music but that year they changed the system so that band practices were actually held during lunch-time music classes a couple times a week so I had to drop that too. While I had been a second flute in the band at Mackenzie my husband was a first clarinet player, although we didn’t actually meet until a few years later. He was a pretty serious player but also took a hiatus for a while when our two sons were young. He went back to it about 10 years ago and now plays in the Northdale Concert Band (one of the best in the city), as well as in a clarinet trio and often with a piano accompanist.
He had encouraged me over the years to pick up the flute again, but I always protested that I didn’t have time, nor an ear for music. Then about four years ago, walking down Queen Street one afternoon, we saw a flute in the window at Steve’s Music Store and he said “I’ll buy you a flute if you want”. That day, since I wasn’t working full-time anymore, my kids were grown up and I had more time, I said “maybe”. We didn’t buy that flute in the window but we did go to a couple of pawn shops and by the end of the day I had a flute. I couldn’t get a sound out of it that day but I took some lessons for a few months and then joined the band – this is my 3rd season. I had heard previously about Resa’s Pieces, how it was a beginner band and a lot of fun. I struggled with the music at first – it was harder than I expected since the band had gotten so much better over the years – but I think I’m mostly keeping up now and enjoying it very much.
The French horn was first played in 1650 in France. It consists of about 12 feet of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. It is the second highest sounding instrument group in the brass family. The conical bore (as opposed to the cylindrical bore of the trumpet or trombone), is largely responsible for its characteristic, distinctive and most beautiful mellow tone.
Three hundred and more years later, at the start of junior high school, my music teacher handed me a large black awkward shaped suitcase and declared “this one’s for you”. I cradled the instrument in my arms, put my lips to the mouthpiece and attempted to make music.
Thirty years or more later, Resa handed me a folio of music, a large black awkward shaped suitcase and declared “it’s like riding a bicycle...the music is in you!” And indeed it is.
“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” B Auerbach
After 21 years in ladies retail, I retired to
continue on with my dreams of music and stone carving. I have always
wanted to play percussion, but with no musical experience in my past, I
decided to join a band (after pressure from Dorothy) took lessons on how to read
music and prayed that no one would pick up on my inexperience.
Luckily I had the sympathy of my band mates and I trekked ahead. So
where there is a will there is a way. Thank you
everybody.
I had played the French Horn in high school and during university
discovered there was life after high school band when I saw an
advertisement for the North York Concert Band. I had no idea these
community bands existed so I joined and have been playing with this
group for almost 20yrs.
About 4 years ago on a whim I decided to
teach myself how to play the bassoon; nothing like learning a totally
different instrument to keep the brain sharp! That's when I learned
about Resa's Pieces, since Resa plays flute in the North York band and
invited me to play with her group.
Playing with this group has been
a fantastic experience. Resa has a great knack of keeping everything
fun and low key while bringing out the best in each of us. I only wish
I had started playing with Resa's Pieces a lot earlier!
I didn't fall in love with the trombone at first in Grade 7 at Wilson Hts Public School, but by Grade 12 at Sir Sandford Fleming, I played 1st and loved all the Kiwanis Awards that we had won. Later on as a High School teacher at Weston Collegiate, I got to play in the pit band for the following shows: "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", "Anything Goes" and "Oliver". It revitalized my love for playing. Then came family commitments and the mothering role to two wonderful children, so I had little time to play an instrument, but I encouraged my children to love music as I had. In grade 7, my son, Aaron decided to play trombone and we bought one for him. By grade 11, he had dropped the playing, to concentrate on academics but I took it up once again. Hearing Resa's Pieces one time as my husband and I strolled through the JCC caught our attention and my husband solicited my talents and that was 4 years ago. So here I still am. I love the opportunity to share music and fun times as well. BRAVO to Resa Kochberg and our fellow members for their talent and devotion.
My earliest memory of getting involved with music was 5th grade. I immigrated to Detroit, Michigan from Odessa, Ukraine in 1979. I was able to speak English fairly well by 5th grade, when musical instruments were introduced to our class by Mr. Osborne. He played guitar and sang "Puff the Magic Dragon" to unsuspecting youngsters who didn't read too much into the lyrics of the tune. Mr. Osborne thought that trumpet would be good for me, and I've been playing the horn, exclusively, since then.
I played in all kinds of youth bands and one of my fondest memories was soloing in jazz band on Coconut Champagne (Maynard Ferguson's arrangement, and a decent one from Japanese MF clones!) and A Night in Tunisia, a jazz standard. Mrs. Golden was our teacher in high school, and she taught the 9th and 10th graders to be the best band we could be, whether it was symphony or marching band. We came in 2nd place in a state marching band competition in 10th grade -- that was just about the best feeling!
We played in competitions, solo & ensembles and I won many medals at those events. Like Harold Wolfe (another Resa's Pieces trumpeter), I also played Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in B-flat.
Probably the most people I ever played for would be 100,000+ fans at the University of Michigan stadium in Ann Arbor. I was part of the 225 member Michigan Marching Band, and we blew our brains out every Saturday before, during and after each home Wolverine football game. Playing "Victors" down the field will forever be embedded in my mind, and I try to attend the homecoming weekend every year to recapture that feeling at my alma mater.
After dropping the trumpet for about 10 years, I found out about Resa's Pieces through a girlfriend. I joined, formed some amazing friendships. And there's lots of opportunity to volunteer (I maintain this website for example). The variety of people in age and background who make beautiful music together is just what I was looking for! I am glad I found the band before they hit the "big time"!
This video also explains why I love music - check it out at 15:00 and 24:00 especially.
