Restoration of a Memory: Thirty-eight Years of Music Appreciation

Recently, I started playing the piano again. It has been a quite interesting exercise to recapture the mental memory and muscle memory for songs I knew by heart 30 years ago. As I have been recovering and restoring some musical aptitude, I am recalling Mr. Salvatore A. Viggiano, my first music teacher in elementary school in Massachusetts.  He taught me the discipline of Practice. And it all started on the 3rd grade flutophone. I found one last summer at a yard sale in the box.

Internet Fair Use - Flutophone

Yes. We must have looked just like the 1960's vintage flutophone class below.

Internet Fair Use - Vintage 1960 Flutophone Class

And then I graduated to the trumpet and the chorus in grades 4 -6.  I only took up my piano lessons in high school years. I remember the Selmer Bundy trumpet in a grey case with red velvet and the smell of brass instrument slide oil. I still have the instrument.

Internet Fair Use - Selmer Bundy Trumpet

To best recall that era in time, I was able to recover a newspaper article announcing the annual Festival of Music fundraiser that Salvatore orchestrated when I was in third grade flutophone band in 1966 so long ago. The Festival band and chorus were 4th to 6th graders, We packed the auditorium. Had to have white shirts and black slacks and skirts. The trumpet section was at his immediate right-hand and I was directly under his watchful gaze and received scorn if he heard an errant note. It brings back many mental images of places and faces. He was amazing at providing lessons for us and putting on a show throughout the year at holidays. He had high expectations and it was a blessing to have been under his tutelage.

Perhaps the highlight to be attained under his instruction was to perform the taps solo at appropriate ceremonies. Again, it was a privilege to be earned from him and I wanted the right to be the chosen trumpeter for Memorial Day taps. It was my first time to be in the literal spotlight. I felt honored at a young age to enter the ranks of those who paid tribute to the fallen soldiers of days past.

Internet Fair Use - Legacy Bugler

Internet Fair Use - Trumpeting Together

There were first, second, and third trumpet sections..maybe 4-6 earnest youngsters in each row. We all tried so hard to get it right and perform in harmony and synchronized tempo.

I remember walking home from after-school lessons trudging and swinging that trumpet case to and fro. It was a long walk for a 9 - 11 year old. My smart phone says 1.2 miles once a week. We had to practice a minimum of 30 minutes a day and record it in a book. I was first trumpet, first chair as long as I practiced and achieved good results, otherwise I was relegated to second chair and had to earn it back. Learned diligence early.

Many of the folks named in this article were kids and families I grew up with. I am amazed that as I see the names, I can recall their visage in my mind's eye from those bygone days. I should make an effort to sketch what is in my mind's eye for these names from the past to see what happens from very early memory. Thank you Salvatore A. Viggiano for pouring your discipline and appreciation of music to me early in my life. I am still enjoying it many years later.

     Spaulding Memorial School Music Festival Set at Townsend [Fitchburg Sentinel - June 2, 1966]

     TOWNSEND-The annual Festival of Music at Spaulding Memorial School will be held Friday night 8 pm at the school auditorium under the direction of Salvatore A. Viggiano supervisor of music direction. Piano accompaniment will be Mrs. Jeanette Bullis. Participating will be the Flutophone Band, the Festival Chorus, and the fourth grade chorus. In charge of tickets are J. Verne Quimby and Miss Judith Viewig; programs, Mrs. Arietta Rice and Mrs. Eleanor Frank; projectionist, [principal] Gordon DeCato; house committee, Deborah Cahill, Nanette Collins, Janet Thatcher, Sandra Thibeault, Susan Valois, and John Weir; stage hands, Stephen Esposito and Michael Therrien, with refreshments by Mrs. Marian Merrill, Mrs. Anna Boyd, Mrs. Bertha Wheeler, Mrs. Eleanor Hamilton, Mrs. Genevieve Mohan, and Mrs. Dorothy Smith.

     The [Festival] chorus includes Jane Briguglio, Deborah Brown, Jill Clark, Jane Egan, Beverly Johnson, Sandra Leeds, Erving Marshall, Margaret Maxwell, Doris Moore, Marcia Mountain, Anne Nauman, Marianne Phinney, Marjorie Pine, Jeralyn Robbins, and Patricia Sanderson.

     Lynn Schofield, Veronica Stoll, Judith Syrjala, Maura Tracey, Karen Welch, Mary Cahill, Pam Conley, Janice Downs, Lorraine Fielding, Richard Lammi, Mary Martin, Cynthia Matthews, Karen Quesada, Patricia Rousseau, and Brian Russell.

     Lauray Bolden, Gwenna Bourn, David Fisher, Joan Hebb, Patricia Koski, Louis Marino, Linda Marley, Paul Morin, Charlene Smith, Michelle Thonis. Paul Anderson, Linda Beese, Kathleen Carey, Jeffrey Conley, Mark Connor, Dabiel Decato, Jeannie Deroy, David Eaton, Darby Fletcher, Melissa Green, Heidi Harju, Michael Hotaling, Paul Magoon, Louise McNally, Linda Polzer,William Profit, David Sanderson, William Schultze, Clarence Smith.

     Fourth grade chorus members are: Dawn Anderson, John Boucher, Jeff Bullard, Stephanie Burns, Mark Carbonneau, Bruce Collins, Claudette Daly, Lee Davis, Gail Dodge, Becky Dow, Rosemary English, William Epps, Celeste Eyles, Patricia Fisher, Richard Foresman, Donna Forest, Mark Garratoa, Richard Gravel, Frank Gyles, Mark Hussey, James Kilbourne, Cindy Knox, and Walter Kumpu.

     Thomas Lagasse, Eileen Lamoureux, Kenneth Lamport, Caroline LaVorgna, David Ledford, Douglas MacPhee, Deborah Martin, George Martin, John McEndarfer, Gail McNally, Ruth-ellen Miller, Richard Morey, Barbara Morris, Gary Oinonen, and Norma Parsons.

Lillian Pillman, Melba Porter, Donald Powell, Debra Profit, Paul Rafuse, Sheila Rhodes, Tommie Schofield, David Schrok, Ann Shaughnessy, Douglas Smith, Bette Stow, Linda Sundstrom, Scott Swicker, Donna Truitt, Kevin Valcourt, Inis Waite. Susan West, Susan Willard, and Deborah Wornham.

     The [3^rd grade] Flutophone Band is composed of Paul Adams, Susan Barrett, Patricia Bedard, Kevin Bernhardt, Linda Berry, Donna Boucher, Debra Boutwell, Matthew Bryce, Ann Bullard, Lorna Burnside, Linda Chatigny, Michael Churchville, Gail Clifford, Robert Clark, Peter Collins, Robert Collins, Heidi Conley, Cynthia Daley, and Jonathan Davis.

Kendra Davis, Elizabeth Dorian, Philip Ekola, Holly Jean Estes, Mark Estes, Valerie Eyles, Greg Farrar, Lynda Fogarty, David Funiaole, Robert Ganong, Kathy Green, Barbara Greenough, Chris Gregoire, Michael Hallisey, Pamela Hare, Kathy Herrick, Wayne Howe, Wayne Hussey, David Johnson, Joyce Johnson, Jeffrey Kammerer, and David Keefe.

     Faith Kelloway, Joel Kelloway, Belinda King, John King, Celia Koski, Dana Kumph, Robert Laine, Karl Larson, John Lashua, Kenneth Maki, Lisa Marshall, James Martin, Brian Mattson, Kenneth Mattson, James McCann, Barbara McEndarfer, Karen McNichols, Mary Ellen Morton, Robert Obea, and Susan Ojala.

Diane Oliver, James O'Neil, Gary Peaslee, Mary Perigny, Brian Peterman, Kristine Pfister, Kenneth Pillman, William Prescott, Andrew Reida, Paula Rhodes, Yvonne Rogers, Laura Rousseau, Philip Runkey, Arlene Russell, Nancy Rutherford, Holly Saball, and Mikko Sauokangas.

     Debra Scott, John Siren, Andrew Smith, Sandra Smith, Shirley Smith, Kathleen Stanley, Robin St. Hilaire, Cheryl Thomas, Mark Truitt, Martin Truitt, Larry Valcourt, Ronnie Valcourt, David Weymouth, Carnie Whitman, Thomas Williams, Deborah Winter, Robert Wood, and Elaine Wright.

     The [Festival] Band includes Jane Briguglio, Melissa Green, Karen Pfister, Marianne Phinney, Rebecca Rice, Marla Fogarty, Linda Polzer, Jeralyn Robbins, James Smith, Jean Bedard, Sara Churchville, Beverly Johnson, Marjorie Pine, Jeffrey Siren, and Jeanne St. Hilaire.

     Henry Albro, Gwenna Bourn, Margaret Maxwell, Ellen Morrison, Marcia Rouleau, Virginia Waite, Howard Davis, Michael Hotaling, Richard Lammi, Floyd Morrison, Jonathan Mattson, Gary Mattson, Steven Sundstron, Philip Boucher, Richard Green, Lynee Eaton, Mark Connor, and David Fisher. David Bulard. Daniel Decato, James Taubert. William Epps and Richard Foresman.