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https://www.interlochen.org/events/worl ... 6wEybwhiDA

Brad grew up in Selmer, TN and his parents brought him in to Memphis to study with my friend, Bob Gilbert (uncle of former NYPO music director, Alan). Bob also taught one of my daughters to play the horn.

My older daughter - the oboist - played in the Memphis Youth Symphony with Brad.

I remember when Brad had braces on his teeth, yet would always be one of the top players regionally and in the state (from his early high school years). The year he got his braces off, (of course) he smoked everyone. He's now serves as principal horn in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He's done quite a few things (beyond playing the horn) that define him as a really great human being (and surely will continue to do so), but that would define this post as approaching the length of a book, so...

I can't remember whether I played at his wedding or his sisters (??)...probably, his sisters...
Brad's parents took Mrs. bloke and me to Interlochen (in THEIR car) to convince us to enroll our oldest daughter (who had played in the WYSO for a couple of summers already) to enroll in the Academy - as Brad had just graduated and moved on to Juilliard. (I attended the Camp one summer as an 18 year old - back when the University of Michigan School of Music held its summer session there, but was a bit skeptical/ignorant regarding the Academy - which has extremely high academic standards.)

archived:

https://www.interlochen.org/media/archi ... 08-03-2024

I did some summer time at Interlochen long ago. Glad I had the opportunity. Saxophonist Don Sinta ran most of The University of Michigan’s programs there at the time. Great player and guy, and he really did an excellent job of it at Interlochen. We visited some years later and it still had that same music beehive feel. Pretty cool.

I liked escaping from the heat. I liked the musical atmosphere, and I liked the fact that an organization back in my hometown paid my tuition. I also liked the fact that I checked off some college courses through the University of Michigan while I was up there. I think I would have liked staying home and working at some job, playing some gigs, and ending up with some pocket money, but I also think I made about a year and a half worth of playing progress in that summer, because I was separated from my girlfriend (Mrs. bloke), and there wasn't much to do but go to rehearsals and practice.