Episode 10 - A Life Lived in Music with Harold Stone (Part 1)

Harold stone is a legend in the music business. At the 2022 CMEA Conference, Drew had the pleasure of talking with Harold. Though the conversation went well over an hour, it only scratched the surface of a life lived in music and devoted to promoting music education and participation.

In part one of our interview, Harold recounts his humble beginnings as one of five children. His father was a muleskinner in France during World War I and would often need to trade with the locals to get food (Harold theorizes this is where he gets his natural ability to trade and sell).

The band teacher at his school recruited him to play tuba and, as they say, the rest is history. From there he played tuba in the 504th Air Force Band alongside people like Walt Levinsky, who would later play lead alto in the Tonight Show Band. He knew Harvey Phillips and helped him bring his idea for Tuba Christmas to life. Rafael Mendez, Ron Romm, Alan Vizzuti, and Doc Severinsen have all been touched by Harold Stone’s life in music.

We also discuss the cross discipline educational value in music making and how crucial an inspiration teacher can be to the early and continued success of aspiring musicians.

#BeyondtheStage

https://youtu.be/x3iao6UNlLo