Klarinet Archive - Posting 000032.txt from 1969/12

From: kurtheisig@-----.net
Subj: Re: [kl] Ralph Morgan
Date: Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 -0500

Dave,

Ralph DID leave those notes! He left them in the hearts and minds of those of us who studied with him. Ralph mentored me for over 20 years in mouthpiece making and instrument design. He wouldn't TELL you what worked. He would talk to you and get you thinking, then you'd have to work and think for awhile (sometimes months or YEARS!) until you figured it out, and THEN he would tell you you got it right!

I will always remember thousands of hours of conversations about the industry and Ralph's experiences.

Though he was 24 years older than me - to the day- and I am not that young, we would often call each other after a particularly exciting mthpc or horn repair and enthuse like awed little kids over the "rules that God had made" that make acoustics work. We would laugh and praise God together, and revel in the realization that acoustics come from God and God ALLOWS us to figure them out. It is a gift from Him. We had many long conversations filled with awe about "the good Lord" who MADE THE RULES and Blessed us with the insight to discover them.

Ralph was a B26 Marauder Pilot in WWII. One story he told was of looking down and coming straight up at him was the fastest thing flying he'd ever seen. I never found out if it was an ME262 or a Heinkel Rocket plane, but he said how astounding it was that the German never fired!! He had him. There was no way out. Another story he swore me to secrecy on, but this last year told me I could tell it, was a car accident that DID not happen, miraculously. It was absolutely impossible in the physical world for him to escape it--yet he did. Many times he said: "The good Lord had something for me to do, and He spared my life so I could do it!"

Ralph was often like a little kid in his amazement and excitement about this wonderful system God has made so that we may all enjoy music.

It is no wonder that he would sign everything---Musically Yours
In Christ,
Ralph

-----Original Message-----
>From: David McClune <dmcclune@-----.edu>
>Subject: [kl] Ralph Morgan

Ralph worked at Selmer for many decades and was brilliant at mouthpiece design and instrument acoustics. He retired many years ago and concentrated on just mouthpieces.

>As a maker, I just wish folks like him left behind research notes for the rest of us to learn from!

>Dave

>------------------------------------------------------------------
>

------------------------------------------------------------------