 Arvel Allread Baritone Horn Arvel was a mentor to many of the band members that attended Chico State University. He taught the music program in nearby Durham, CA (the entire music program -- grades 5-12!), and those of us majoring in music education were always amazed at his patience, tenacity, and genuine love of teaching. He was liked by his students as well: almost every student in Durham took a music class from Mr. Allread at some point during their elementary or high school years. Durham is only a few miles from Chico, so the university asked Arvel if he would be willing to let music education majors work with him as student teachers. (In California, college students seeking a teaching credential must spend a full post-graduate year in a combination of college classes and hands-on teaching in a public school.) Arvel was more than willing (he appreciated the help!!), and ended up serving as the Master Teacher for about a half-dozen of the CBB members. After retiring from teaching, Arvel decided to start playing his horn again. He chose two groups to work with: the circus in the summer (Arvel actually owned a circus in his earlier days), and the Chico Bavarian Band in the fall and winter. We loved having him in the baritone section -- his technique was flawless, and he had an incredibly smooth and lyrical tone.
Unfortunately, after a relatively short retirement, we lost Arvel to an overpowering illness. His presence in the baritone section will always be missed. He was a mentor, a good friend, and a hero to all of us who worked with him. |
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