Brian Reeve Preident-elec
A Life of Learning
Growing up we had a music room in the basement. An old Chickering Brothers piano adorned one wall. On another wall my parents’ massive record collection was stored under the stereo and seemingly all around the room. A bass guitar; an electric guitar; acoustic guitars; a Dobro; you name it, we had it.
My parents were both self-taught musicians. My mother played the guitar and sang. For my father, music was both his avocation and his vocation. He had spent years as a professional entertainer before settling into more consistent work as custodian at a local bank. He played the bass, the Dobro, the guitar, and he sang.
I spent hours in that basement music room listening, learning, playing, and practicing. My father was always supportive, always wanting more. At one point, I started to play the electric guitar. After learning to play the beginning of a particular rock song, I excitedly called him downstairs to demonstrate my prowess. He listened, looked pleased, then paused and said, “Now play it in the key of A.” When I fumbled, he turned around and went upstairs. He was supportive. He wanted more. Learning to play songs in all twelve keys became my mission.
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Throughout his life my father was on a quest to become a better, more knowledgeable musician. He even took a music theory course when he was well into his 60’s. Watching his life in music taught me not only about this art form but also I learned more about my father. For with music, experiencing other people’s views, thoughts, and lifestyles through song allows us to live a day in the life of others. We gain a deeper understanding of how people think.
Through musical occasion we also have the opportunity for travel. Performing on the road all those years informed who my father was. Our students in Elementary Honor Choir or All-State Orchestra meet and learn about people from across the state. Performing
in New York, Africa, or Europe we learn about other people, other cultures, other political systems, how we are different, and how we are the same.
Increasing our cultural competency through music is not new, but it is ever so important now when we are connected yet without human interaction.
Looking back, I see more clearly the connection between my father’s journey in music and what he wanted for me. On a custodian’s salary, he made sure I traveled to Puerto Rico with the choir and to England with the band, knowing it would change me for the better. A life of loving music. A life of learning about myself and others through music. Let us go and do likewise.
MISSOURI SCHOOL MUSIC | Volume 71, Number 3
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