Maurice McAdow
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Maurice Clark McAdow (17 November 1904 in
Greenville, Illinois : Greenville is a city in Bond County, Illinois, United States, east of St. Louis. The population as of the 2020 census was 7,083, up from 7,000 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bond County. Greenville is part of the St. Louis ...
– 20 August 2001 in
Denton, Texas Denton is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Denton County, Texas, Denton County. With a population of 139,869 as of 2020, it is the List of cities in Texas by population, 20th-most populous city in Texas, the List of Un ...
) was an American conductor, trumpeter, and music educator (with high proficiency on woodwinds) who served as director of bands at the
University of North Texas College of Music The University of North Texas College of Music, based in Denton, is a comprehensive music school among the largest enrollment of any music institution accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. It developed the first jazz studies ...
for years, from fall 1945 to spring 1975. The concert bands under his direction were acclaimed for performing a wide repertoire that exhibited advanced levels of musicianship commensurate with a major music school. The marching bands under his direction were known for innovative and colorful halftime shows. Since the mid-1940s, the
College of Music A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger in ...
had been, and still is, among the nation's largest music schools. Due to the size of the music school, his marching bands were filled with an unusual number of music majors, sometimes exceeding 90%.


Career & education

Secondary education : McAdow had attended Anthony High School, Anthony, Kansas, and played in its band, but quit in 1920 to perform with the Peggy Norman Players, a
tent show Tent shows have been an important part of American history since the mid-to-late nineteenth century. In 1927, Don Carle Gillette gave "statistical evidence that the tented drama constituted 'a more extensive business than Broadway and all the rest ...
. After traveling a few months with the show, he returned to Kansas to finish high school, graduating in 1922. Upon graduating, he enrolled at
Montana State University Billings Montana State University Billings (or MSU Billings) is a public university in Billings, Montana, United States. It is the state's third largest university. Its campus is located on 110 acres in downtown Billings. Formerly Eastern Montana Normal ...
, where he father was teaching. After a year of studying, McAdow spent 6 years on the road performing with groups before returning to live with his mother in
Greenville, Illinois : Greenville is a city in Bond County, Illinois, United States, east of St. Louis. The population as of the 2020 census was 7,083, up from 7,000 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bond County. Greenville is part of the St. Louis ...
."ABA Memorials; 2009," American Bandmasters Association (2009)
Founder of bands : The
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
(early 1930s) was the impetus for McAdow to seek steady work in music, so he entered his father's avocation of teaching music in public schools. : In 1931, McAdow became a band director at Mulberry Grove Middle and High School, though he did not have a college degree. When is 14-piece band won a "Division 1" rating in the first year, he became interested in making it a career. During his tenure at Mulberry Grove, he played in a number of community bands while pursuing a degree in music. Attending summer and Saturday classes, earning a Bachelor of Music Education of
Illinois Wesleyan University Illinois Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Bloomington, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1850, the central portion of the present campus was acquired in 1854 with the first building erected in 1856. History The in ...
in 1939. : McAdow also had his own band — Maurice McAdow and His Orchestra — that played dances at local dance halls. : While at Mulberry Grove, McAdow started the New Douglas and Sorento Bands. His soon to be wife, Evelyn Delores Bartels, was a clarinet player in the New Douglas Band. He organized a third band at
Pocahontas, Illinois Pocahontas is a village in Burgess Township, Bond County, Illinois, Burgess Township, Bond County, Illinois, Bond County, Illinois, United States. The population was 697 at the 2020 census. History Pocahontas was originally known as Hickory Grov ...
. In 1935, all three bands performed at the state contest at the
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...
. In 1936, the Greenville School System appointed McAdow as its high school band director. He flourished there for eight years. : In the fall of 1943, McAdow moved from Greenville to Elmhurst to accept a position as band and orchestra instructor at
York Community High School York Community High School is a public secondary school in Elmhurst, Illinois, United States. It is a part of the Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205. Most of the students reside in Elmhurst; however, the district also draws a small numb ...
."Personals," ''
Edwardsville Intelligencer The ''Edwardsville Intelligencer'' is an American daily newspaper in Illinois based in Edwardsville. The paper is circulated in Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, and nearby rural areas. History The newspaper was founded as the ''Madison Intellig ...
,'' September 1, 1943, Col. 3, pg. 3
Educator at the university level : In 1945, McAdow joined the faculty of the
University of North Texas College of Music The University of North Texas College of Music, based in Denton, is a comprehensive music school among the largest enrollment of any music institution accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. It developed the first jazz studies ...
and proceeded to build the concert and marching band program. During his 28 years at North Texas, McAdow led the band on 28 tours throughout 13 states, appeared eight times at the
Texas Music Educators Association The Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) is an organization of over 12,000 Texas school music educators. Its stated goals are to provide professional growth opportunities, to encourage interaction among music education professionals, to foster ...
and appeared at various other conventions, such as the
College Band Directors National Association William D. Revelli (February 12, 1902 – July 16, 1994) was an American music educator and conductor best known for his association with the University of Michigan, where he directed the university's bands including the Michigan Marching Ban ...
and the Music Educators National Convention. After his retirement in 1975 at the age of 70, he continued to work as a consultant for school music programs under the auspices of the Brook Mays Music Company of Dallas. : McAdow served as an adjudicator, guest conductor and clinician in 21 states.


Formal music education

* Graduated from Anthony High School, Anthony, Kansas, 1922. In the mid-1920s, McAdow studied with: *
Herman Bellstedt Herman Bellstedt (February 12, 1858, Bremen – June 8, 1926, San Francisco) was a well-known American cornet soloist. Early life He was born in the Free and Hanseatic City of Bremen. He immigrated to Cincinnati, Ohio at age nine. He studi ...
(1858–1926) * Edward Llewellyn (1879–1936), principal trumpet of the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia F ...
. Beginning in 1930 he spent eight years of intensive study of the woodwinds, trombone, and percussion with symphony artists. During this time, he played flute with the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra. He studied with: * Edward Carl Oventrop (1888–1952), trombonist with the St Louis Symphony, 1923–24 season & 1931–32 through 1933–34 seasons * Rocco Michael Zottarelle (1889–1983), clarinetist with the
St. Louis Symphony The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1880 by Joseph Otten as the St. Louis Choral Society, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest professional symphony o ...
* Johann Friedrich Kiburz (1876–1944), flutist with the
St. Louis Symphony The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1880 by Joseph Otten as the St. Louis Choral Society, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest professional symphony o ...
* Dall C. Fields (1889–1956), clarinet, bassoon, oboe, and flute of Chicago * John E. Ferrell (1892– ), bassoonist with the
St. Louis Symphony The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1880 by Joseph Otten as the St. Louis Choral Society, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest professional symphony o ...
, 1926–27 through 1958–1959 seasons McAdow received a bachelor's degree from
Illinois Wesleyan University Illinois Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Bloomington, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1850, the central portion of the present campus was acquired in 1854 with the first building erected in 1856. History The in ...
in 1939, was a conducting pupil of Ralph Lyford, Alfred Hicks,"McAdow to be Critic at Festival," ''
The Victoria Advocate ''The Victoria Advocate'' is a daily newspaper independently published in Victoria, Texas. It is the second-oldest paper in Texas and the oldest west of the Colorado River, dating back to May 8, 1846, following the Battle of Palo Alto The Ba ...
,'' February 12, 1950, pg. 12A
and, from 1943 to 1944, Russian conductor Nicolai Malko. McAdow received a master's degree from the
American Conservatory of Music The American Conservatory of Music (ACM) was a major American school of music founded in Chicago in 1886 by John James Hattstaedt (1851–1931). The conservatory was incorporated as an Illinois non-profit corporation. It developed the Conservat ...
in 1953."McAdow, Director of Bands Emeritus, Dies at Age 96,"
''University of North Texas News Service,'' August 21, 2001


Awards

* 1973: Texas Bandmaster of the Year, Texas Bandmasters Association * 1974: Inducted into the
American Bandmasters Association The American Bandmasters Association (ABA) was formed in 1929 by Edwin Franko Goldman to promote concert band music.Raoul F. Camus. "American Bandmasters Association." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/sub ...
* Honorary lifetime membership in
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (legally Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha, PMA, or simply Sinfonia) () is an American collegiate social Fraternities and sororities, fraternity for men with a special interest ...
fraternity * Honorary lifetime membership in the
Kappa Kappa Psi Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity (, colloquially referred to as KKPsi) is an honorary Fraternities and sororities, fraternity for school band, college and university band members in the United States. It was founded on November ...
band fraternity * 1990: Inducted as Honorary Alumnus of the
University of North Texas The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public university, public research university located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its main campus is in Denton, Texas, Denton, with a satellite campus in Frisco, Texas, Frisco. It serves as the ...
* 1991: Inducted into the Texas Bandmasters' Hall of Fame,
Phi Beta Mu Phi Beta Mu, International Bandmasters' Fraternity (), is an international honorary fraternity for band directors. It was founded in 1939 in Texas. History The idea for Phi Beta Mu originated with Earl D. Irons, bandmaster and chairman of fine ...
, Alpha Chapter (Texas) * 1992: Charter Inductee into the Region V Bandmasters' Hall of Fame * 2000: Awarded the Grainger Medallion, International
Percy Grainger Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 188220 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who moved to the United States in 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long and ...
Society


Selected discography

* ''Symphony for Band'', Silver Crest CBD 69-2 (LP) (1969) (1967) : Maurice McAdow, Conductor : North Texas State University Concert Band #
Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...
: ''Jupiter'' from ''
The Planets ''The Planets'', Op. 32, is a seven- movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1917. In the last movement the orchestra is joined by a wordless female chorus. Each movement of the suite is name ...
'' #
Ginastera Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (; April 11, 1916June 25, 1983) was an Argentine composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical composers of the Americas. Biography Ginastera was born in Buenos A ...
: ''Danza Final'' from ''Estancia'' # Kepner: ''The Sea'' from ''Cuban Fantasy'' #
Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 (Shostakovich), First Symphony in 1926 and thereafter was regarded ...
: '' Festive Overture'' #
Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
: Flying Dutchman Overture


Family

McAdow's father, William Paisley McAdow Jr. (1878–1938), was a professional trumpet player, composer, and band director. His son, Scott (born 1954), is a secondary school music educator in Texas.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McAdow, Maurice American bandleaders American conductors (music) American male conductors (music) American music educators American trumpeters American male trumpeters Illinois Wesleyan University alumni American Conservatory of Music alumni University of North Texas faculty 1904 births 2001 deaths University and college band directors People from Greenville, Illinois Musicians from Illinois 20th-century American musicians 20th-century trumpeters 20th-century American male musicians