TV, Music & Mr. D

Last night I had my weekly rehearsal in the Lyncourt Community Band. The conductor is Tony DeAngelis otherwise affectionately known as “Mr. D.” Mr. D has been a fixture in the Lyncourt Community for well over 50 years. He only recently retired but he agreed to come back to conduct the community band last year.

There are a couple of stories here; the first one is Mr. D. He is an accomplished musician (original member of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra) and a gifted teacher. Many of his students over the years have gone on to either careers in music or continue to play as a hobby, like myself. So you’re saying, what’s the big deal? Lots of communities have a “Mr. D.” Maybe. But when you don’t retire from teaching at a very small elementary and middle school until you are in your seventies, and it’s not because he needed the money, that says a lot about him. The man has lived to teach and he has lived to be around music. Period. I don’t want to shortchange his personal life as he has been married to the same woman for a bunch of years and raised three very successful daughters, but it’s been music that has been the thread that weaves through his life. He gave us the gift of music, taught us high standards with the blessing of passion and humor. For me, and many, many other former students, he changed our lives.

The second story here is the art and skill of playing music. Playing in a band, small, medium or large, requires you to listen to each other and contribute your part with as much skill as you have. It’s kind of like working on a television production. I watch my students work on SUper Sports or productions at the Schine or live television shows from the Dome and I see the exact same dynamics in play as I do in community band. Many times we get it real right and sometimes someone is playing the wrong key. But hey, that’s the way it goes when you put your creative soul on the line isn’t it?

As I think of it, maybe there’s a third story here. When I was in the fourth grade I went to the music room and told Mr. D I wanted to play the trumpet. I didn’t know it then but that started a relationship with a man who changed my life. And to a certain extent, he might be changing yours too. Amazing how we are all interconnected isn’t it?