i got my copy of the pursuit (baldwin-wallace’s alumni newsletter) on saturday and it had some incredibly sad news: on january 19th of this year, Dr. Lawrence Hartzell died from complications due to cancer. i hate to think about it, but i’m coming to the place in my life where my greatest influences will start to fade away, at least in a biological sense. it’s not nearly as simple to erase the impact of a man like that from a person and certainly not from all of those he touched..
this was an amazing musician and educator. he had diverse interests and shared them freely. he was sure of himself, but humble. i’m not sure how i got lucky enough to have two great men as my early mentors (the other being my master, L.O.C.) but i was. i remember talking with him at length about my inability to sing in individual ear training evaluations. he was kind and had many strategies for overcoming my natural discomfort with my own voice. i always got the sense that he judged himself by the success of his students and that’s really the best measure of a great teacher. now that i think of it, i had MANY classes with him: ear training, counterpoint (16th century), 12 tone techniques, electronic music and a pile of independent studies. he encouraged me to apply to NYU which changed my life forever. i’m not really sure who i’d be had i not encountered him.
we’re such fragile things. we pick up nicks and scratches that carve us into characters of astounding variety. i’m thankful that he took the time to make a few marks on me.
R.I.P. Herr Kappelmeister.
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