| Chapter 6: | The Clarinet |
We had outstanding stage sets put together by four students.
Artie Shaw’s rendition of “Indian Love Call” was one of my favorite numbers. It begins with the drum beating followed by Artie’s clarinet. I asked Rudy Lucchese, the great Franklin drummer, if he would play the number with me. He agreed. We arrived ten minutes before band practice one day and we went through the number. Fannie Wolff heard us play and told us to do it for one of our assembly periods. We did and I felt like Artie Shaw that day with the great Gene Krupa backing me up. A magical moment.
I wasn’t discouraged after hearing DiStefano because he played trumpet and I played clarinet. But in James Otis Junior High, I met two guys who played clarinet brilliantly. Ronnie Naroff played both tenor saxophone and clarinet and Santo Cutrone played clarinet. Their playing was simply flawless. I realized I could never play like them and music became a hobby for me to be enjoyed. My grandparents were not unhappy when I told them of my decision. They told me lawyers and doctors made more money. I continued to play tarantellas for my grandmother and that pleased her very much. Her favorite, “The Wedding Tarantella.” However, I did stop taking private clarinet lessons.