The Bust
The bust we cuss Is just old rust, When we discuss With deep disgust Our thoughts robust. The bust was Chopin Atop the piano Staring at us When we practised scales. Later in life I sat on the living room couch Counting One-two-three-four, Making my daughters Play scales Without missong a beat. Me half asleep […]
Song Ditties
I composed little songs for special occasions as they came up in life, from the birth of little people to Psalms I cantored in church. When the pastor of our church became a father, I composed “Hey little Andrew, watcha gonna do?” When we went to the Smokey Mountains to celebrate my nephew Josh Paulson’s […]
Bands I Played In
The horns I played, the French horn and the tenor sax, were a welcome extension of me everywhere I went. I brought my horns to church, to parties and to bands. New friends who loved music as much as me came with my horn connections. Back in college I played first horn in a symphonic […]
Instruments I Play.
When I tell people about myself, I often say writing is my profession, but music is my passion. Theroughout my life I have used music to move in and out of educational institutions, churches and relationships. My parents got me piano lessons in elementary school, but I did not like to practice. Playing outside was […]
The Messiah
I played the French horn in Ben Horch’s Mennonite Community Orchestra every time he scheduled a performance, which was annually for about a decade after World War II. The climax is, of course, the “Hallelujah Chorus.” At the end, the horn plays 12 bars the same – dan- tada-dan-ta – over and over. The choir […]