North Texas State University

Off to University!!

North Texas State University
Nirvana for aspiring jazz musicians!!
Freshman Year -- 1962-1963
NTSU Images


Full Tuition Scholarship
  • Once the decision was made that I would go to NTSU my Dad agreed to drive me to Denton, TX, "the apex of the Golden Triange" - about 35 mile north and west of Dallas, which made Denton the top-center point of the Dallas - Ft. Worth - Denton Triangle.
  • I auditioned for Dr. Maurice McAdow, head of the Band (Concert and Marching) Department and was awarded a "Full Tuition" scholarship - $50 a semester which covered my academic hours tuition costs. The "Out-Of-State" tuition at the time was $600 a semester!!!
  • It was not until I actually settled in at NTSU in the Fall of 1962 that I realized just what the consequences (for better and for worse) of taking that $50 were...
Arrival at NTSU
  • I was required to play in the NTSU marching band as a stipulation of the scholarship. Performing with the marching band was also a requirement for participation in the nationally recognized NTSU Concert Band, which was a goal of mine. My primary goal, however was participating in the famous NTSU Lab Band program, one of the top 2/3 jazz programs in the world!!!
  • Summer Marching Band Camp
    As I checked in for marching band practice 2 weeks prior to opening of school I asked Dr. McAdow, "where can I store my drumset until the lab band facilities / drumset rehearsal rooms open up?" I thought he was going to revoke my scholarship... Dr. McAdow was not a "fan" of the Lab band program at NTSU!! His band program "competed" with the Lab Bands for the best players. Overall, playing in the Marching Band was a disappointing experience -- there wasn't even a drum cadence to play!! Of course, 1962 was way before the advent of Drum-Line and Drum Corps style of playing... UNT - NTSU's new name, now has nationally ranked drum line program. Anyway... in 1962 the football team sucked!
Tommy Gwinn -- Professor of Percussion/Drumset
  • Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, including television show
  • Dallas Symphony Orchestra -- nine years as timpanist
  • First call - Dallas jingle scene
  • Used a Rogers Swiv-o-matic bass drum pedal -- spring as tight as possible!
  • I studied timpani 1st semester
  • Drumset the second semester
Performance Organizations
  • Marching Band - you had to play in this band to get into the concert band...
  • Concert Band, Percussion Ensemble -- the concert band did a short tour... Joe Randazzo (see below) was my room-mate
  • Opera Orchestra - La Traviotta
  • Six O'Clock Lab Band - 2nd semester
  • Spring Lab Band Concert -- Guests - Johnny Richards, Maynard Ferguson, played auxillary percussion (timbales) with One O'Clock Band
Influential student drummers at NTSU
  • Dude Kahn - could swing a band harder than anyone... poor reading kept him out of the One O'Clock
  • Gary Denton -- One O'Clock drummer (chemistry PH.D. candidate!)
  • Steve Allen -- "take care of business" player
  • In truth, I learned something from each of the 40+ drumset players (my contemporariers) who were at school!!
    • Bob Budny -- from Milwaukee... he had played with Roland Kirk!!
    • Bob Houston
    • Ron McKeel
    • Dennis Alexander
    • Pat Lackey
    • Bob McGrew
    • Jack Ranelli
    • Bob Natanson
High School buddies at NTSU
  • Tom Bruner -- married Mary Chaney from MacArthur
  • Bob Schulman
  • Keith Allison -- spent most of his time looking for women!

  • I had a 1955 Pontiac Chieftain station wagon. My average travel time from home in San Antonio to Denton (302 mi) was "less than 4 hours"!!
Musicians... Memories
  • The New York guys from Huntington Station, Long Island -- including Joe Randazzo - Bass Trombone, Joe made the BEST spaghetti sauce (mama's recipe), the ritual was each person was assigned an ingredient to bring, Joe would cook ALL day while the rest of us drank beer (Joe, too), listened to jazz "sides" (records to the uninformed) and waited until Joe pronounced the sauce "ready". It was the BEST!! Joe graduated (after a while), played with Kenton and Ray Charles, and settled into the music scene in NYC.
  • The drumset players practiced in the basement of the oldest music building, in the old piano practice rooms - wood floors, no air-conditioning (outsiders would COMPLAIN when we opened the windows!!), little sound-proofing, etc. Two, three, four, five or six or more of us (drummers) would get together in the big practice room... some on sets, some on latin percussion and PLAY!!! We played for hours... as fast as we could... trading fours, solo choruses... Unbelievable!!
  • The Cellar -- Some of the "older" jazz players were going to Ft. Worth to hang out and play at an underground club called the "Cellar" appropriately enough! This place was a cross between the "beat generation" coffee houses with black everything - walls, floors, tables, everything and the early punk clubs... the music was pure Texas jazz-soul-blues-funk... great players came out of Ft. Worth... and it was fun to go and play. The drink of choice (and you had to know someone to get one) was Everclear (180 proof - 90% grain alcohol!) and grape juice or lemonade. If you didn't know anyone you got grape juice or lemonade!!! Here's a Cellar Home Pages Website built by ArvEL Jr. Stricklin - Great fun!!!
  • Somehow the word got out that the Woody Herman Band was playing at a Country Club in Dallas. Someone organised an outing of Lab Band students (with our hippest black "gig" suits on) to visit the Country Club to see the Herman band. This was THE band from the early sixties... Jake Hanna - drums, Nat Pierce - piano, Sal Nistico - jazz tenor, Bill Chase - lead trumpet... on and on... an UNBELIEVABLE band. The band which was obviously playing for dancing would sneak in a real 'flagwaver arrangement' now and then!!! Jake Hanna did a feature solo routine -- with brushes in a VERY effite way - hilarious!!
St. Mary's University
Sophomore Year -- 1963-1964
  • I decided to come home to go to school at St. Mary's University in San Antonio my Sophomore year with old friend Al Hansen, fresh from Texas A&M... I could work more there.
  • "Pop" Sturchio was the head of the music department and Al Sturchio was the ensemble director.
  • Full "music" scholarship -- required compulsory ROTC participation in the marching band -- uniforms and all!
  • Taught Peacock Military Academy Drum & Bugle Corps drummers -- wore Dad's "officer" uniform!