HomeMy WebLinkAbout1935 Director R. J. Dunn~'•
E
Z ~ 2. g 13.x"
.~'~1~~~ Tine
•+• ~/ iO~KJ •••
R. J. DUNN
Director of the South's largest
college band and counted one of
the section's' greatest bandmasters,
kicharil'. T;:punn_of the Texas A.
BRYAN EAGLE, Tl
Reckwell, and }iurtitony--aE- tfie -
Grand Conservatory with Dr. Eber-
hardt.
The talented young nmsician was
promoted to assistant bandmaster
at 20, and was offered n position
in the Marine Band at Washington.
Hoping to receive a promotion to
the rank of bandmaster in the ar-
i my, he refused the Marine. Band
'.offer.' His hopes were jus~Ffiet},
' and at only 28 he wns bandmaster,,.
In an examination of Army band:
masters for s commission at Paris
in 1018, 210 reported and biit 1~.
passed. He passed second.
! Mr. Dunn, now on the retired
'list as First Lieutenant, U. Sr Ar-
my, has had many experiences- as
a musician and •as a student of
music over the world. At one time
he played first 'cello with the In=
dianapolis Peoples Symphony Or-
chestra under Dr. Paulson. Having
studied under several in New York
and also having taken quite some
'extension work from different: mtt-
sical colleges, he was head of the
music department in the Educa-
tional and Vocational Schools of
the i7..S. Army at Camp Gordon,
G a.
Coating to Texas A. & M. as
bandmaster several years ago, he
quickly won a place in the state
and section. In addition to making
the. Aggie band one of the best
and .largest,in.the South, he•be-
came .a member of the-Texaa'hfu-
-tune to'dtrect hmorcheatra of Col secretary and hsa been for_ycaL&
lege Station-children; known as the the'progreasive sad tnfluenttalrbo'-
Little Symphony, which is to ap dy it ie today: One of his greatest
pear in: concert at' Guion' hall this honors was -his election to the
evening: I Amercan.Bandmaster's Association
It was' Mr. Dunn who organized being one of the two members from
i the Little Symphony last year. the South for several years aytd
Now he, despite hie many other 1 mte of the four at rho presenttime
duties, ,devotes time, talent and ex- It was:as a judge in the Tri-
periencG, gained in studies froto, State.Musicnl Festival at Lubbock,
New York to Cuba and in other ~ where he heard children of ,Texas,
parts. of the world, free of charge New Mexico and Oklahoma play,
to train the young musicians of his that he received the inspiration
community. that resulted in the Little Sym-
Mr. Dunn's musical career start- phony orchestra nt College Station.
ed when, at the age of six, he be- -~.~..
gan the study of music on the pia- _ ___j
no. At nine he changed to the vio- Little Sy11t~hUl1~--
lin, studying that instrmnent at i
the Frank T. Benjamin School of
Music at Philadelphia for four (Continued fmm Page 1)
year's and toter under Prof. James that this will be the beginning of
Brophy of 'the city of brotherly
love." better music for the public schools
His entrance into the army at of Texas.
the time of the Spanish-American Nearly 5U children will take
war also marked his turn to band Part in the program this evening,
music. He entered the army ns bup•- as follows: Violin-Lois Beal, Wil-
ler, but soon wns transferred to the ham Bilsing, Mary Dobrovolny,
band to play cymbals (not know- Minnie Jnne Fuller, Dexter Gab-
ing anything about band instru- bard, Sam Rhea Gammon, ,Doris
I meats), and to pet•form as kitchen Gorbet, George Gorzycki, Anna
! police. While in Cuba, in the army, Frances Hornak, Beatrice Tvy,
he took up the study of clarinet un- Cynthia Lancaster, Mary Leland,
der the assistant bandmaster, Carl Mildred Little, B. J. Lloyd, Zella
Colombo, a Norwegian, and the Bell Lloyd, Elizabeth McNew,
study of harmony and instrumentn_ Robert .Guq .-Neeley; Margaret
tion under one Pio Gnn•ido Or,_ Paine, Grace - Schroeder, 'Mario
termin, a bandmaster of the Span- Schroeder; Alice Silvey, James
ish Army who chose to remain in Sikes, Katherine Smith, Ruth Tau
dubs whoa rho tlpantah army with-. 6nnltaue, Luali]a Thertlton, natty
drew.. Ann Vezey, Earle Vezey, l~arga-
having served two years in Cuba ret Ann Williams, Betty, Jane
and two in the Philippines, he was Winkler, Mary Beth Winkler, Rob-
stationcd in New York City. There err Paine, and James Yarnell:.
ho st d violoncrllo under Carl Cello-Charles Kent, Douglas
.d- _
;~ - --- .
Little Symphony .
To Use. Centuries
Old ~strur~'ents
Tito-irrstraments-uaed will be o]
ahnoat as much intereatc,as, the
iprogram itself when.'~the'Littk
Symphony Orchestra of tha A
and M. Consolidated school : pre
Bents its concert under the'direc•
tion of Richard J. Dunn, conduc-
tor, at Guion -hall this. evening
at 7:15 o'clock. ';~c~.
Two pianos will, be used;-'otie
of which is a stew Kimball ,parlor'
grand just purchased -'for the
school. Directly contrasted' to it
will be several violins over two
centuries old, brought from'Italy,
Spain, turd Germany, and prob-
ably,brought to Texas in oxcarts.
The story of how A1r. Dunn re-
assembled and rebuilt some of
these instruments after cleaning
the cobwebs, and wasp nests out
two years ago would make an in-
teresting story in itself. For
months he kept .a general repair
shop in his little instrument ronnt
at Guion hall to put in condition
the many instruments needed for
the children.
It was the interest and .deter-
mination 4f the_patrona and the
children, sad the untiring efforts
of Mr. Dunn as both director and
repair man, that made the Little
Symphony a reality. which is at-
tracting attention ,.throughout.the~
state. Those who have helped hope
• (Continued on Page 2)
- - _+
-~arteaster -Thomas;cbe-land gri4i
Marjorie Steele.
'.C}iimes- -0h'arles~Gampbell. j
Olaiinet--David Brooks .Gofers
and James Gabbard:.. -
Cornet--Robert Sammons.
Flute-Nelwyn Martin.
French thorn-John: Sandatedt.~
:-; Trombone-Herring .Brownlee.
Bane viol-Leroy Koenig.
Piano-Sara Allen Cofer and
Bertha Nell Koenig..
The program will be as follows:
Patriotic song; "America."
Entre from Arthur Sullivan's
Descriptive, "The.Swing," Gnr-
litt.
Duet for two pianos, "The
Turkish March;' Beethoven, by
Misses Bertha 'Nell Koenig and
Sara Allen Cofer.
Minuetto, "The holiday," Gttr-
litt.
Solo for flute, "The Happy
Lark" and "Doll Dance," Mies
Nehvyn Martin.
hlorceeu, "A Simple Story,"
Concone.
Address, Mr. Ben S. Peek, prin-
cipal, South Junior High School,
Waco.
Suite, "The Masked Ball;' Schu-
mann~ (a) "ppening of the-Ball,
(b) 'Butterfly Dance," (c) "The
Clq'se' of the Ball." '.
;The Fii•st Symphony,' Binbel- '
"The First . Symphony " Dia-
bells, Part' Onc, A]lego Moderato;
Part Two, Andantino; Part Three,i
Allegro.
The National Anthem.
is
Eagle want sae get results.