Interviewer
Kirk Easter, Sandy Shoen, Tommy Dobberstein, Holly Hook, Rhonda Burghardt
Files
Description
John Combs talks about his early music education, his university training, and being offered a job as the band director at Hellgate High School in Missoula, Montana in the late 1970s. He discusses the importance of band music and its roots as a uniquely American form of music. He also describes his teaching philosophy, which is to teach students about music’s role in culture and as a reflection of culture, not just how to play music. Combs articulates his concerns about the lack of complexity in modern rock and roll music and how most Americans in the 1990s consider music to play a utilitarian role rather than a cultural role in their lives and society. He describes the differences between producers, choir directors, band directors, and conductors. Combs also discusses the importance of introducing children to technically interesting music, such as classical and jazz, early on so that they develop an ear for it, which makes it easier for them to learn how to play an instrument.
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Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
High school bands; Band directors; Secondary education; Music education, secondary schools; Music education, high schools; High school music teachers; Music professionals; Music educators; Classical music; Band music; Pep band music; American music; Missoula, Montana; Hellgate High School, Missoula, Montana; Miles City, Montana
Original Date
10-1990
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Montana
Language
eng
Original Collection
Missoula Musicians Oral History Project, OH 253, Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula
Digital Publisher
University of Montana--Missoula. Mansfield Library
Rights
Copyright to this collection is held by the interview participants and by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula. Permission may be required for use. For further information please contact Archives and Special Collections: (406) 243-2053 / library.archives@umontana.edu
Oral History Number
OH 253-005
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
1 sound cassette (01:30:00 min.) analog + 1 transcript (14 p.: 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
00:50:15 minutes
Local Filename
OH_253_005.mp3; OH_253_005.pdf
Citation
Combs, John H., "John H. Combs Interview, circa October 1990" (1990). Missoula Musicians Oral History Project. 4.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/missoulamusicians_oralhistory/4