Klarinet Archive - Posting 000004.txt from 1996/11

From: Bruce Currie <BCurrie101@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Himie Voxman
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 01:13:21 -0500

So that we do have a response from a clarinetist, I'll add a little
bit about Mr. Voxman.

I spent 4 years in grad school studying with him. As a teacher, I
thought his greatest strengths were analyzing his students for
weaknesses, his knowledge of music research, and his tremendous
knowledge of the solo and study literature. I think about every
three weeks (for four years) we worked on a different solo. He also
was a very sharp sight-reader, who liked to play duets with his
students.

I think he still goes about every year to Europe (especially
Eastern Europe) to look for new pieces to edit and publish. He once
told me that Czechoslovakia alone (before the breakup) had perhaps
hundreds of thousands of unpublished music manuscripts. Fortunately
for the rest of us, he has spent a lot of time making many of these
available to us.

Between his teaching and his music editing he remains one of the
most influential persons on university-level clarinet instructors.

>Date: Wed, 30 Oct 1996 23:43:08 +0000
>From: "David B. Niethamer" <niethamer@-----.EDU>
>Sender: "Klarinet - Clarinettist's Network"
<KLARINET@-----.BITNET>
>To: Multiple recipients of list KLARINET
<KLARINET@-----.BITNET>
>Subject: Re: Himie Voxman
>
>Linda, you wrote:
>
>>can anyone tell me about Himie Voxman? I have seen his name on
music for
>>years, and i think he has done some of the best arrangements for
clarinet
>>duet ever published. is he still with us, and if so where is he
and what
>>does he do?
>>
>This was a thread on the FLUTE list, and your request came the
*very day*
>after I did some housecleaning. I've finally had a chance to do
some
>hunting, and here, below, is the post about Voxman from FLUTE.
Hope this
>is what you wanted.
>
>David Niethamer
>****************
>
>Reply-To: Jan Boland at Cornell College
<JBOLAND@-----.EDU>
>Sender: Flute Playing and Related Issues
<FLUTE@-----.EDU>
>
>A word about Himie Voxman.
>Himie Voxman lives in Iowa City (his vivacious wife Lois just
passed
>away in the spring of '96) where he continues to edit woodwind
music.
>Mr. Voxman was head of the School of Music at the University of
Iowa
>for about 35 years. His leadership in that capacity was
unmatched...he
>was kind, capable, and the faculty loved him. He was in this
position
>when I did my undergraduate work at the University, and again when

I
>did my doctoral work years later. I was fortunate to have him as
a
>chamber music coach and advisor in my undergraduate days, and as a
>classroom teacher in woodwind methods and materials in graduate
>school. He donated his huge personal library of woodwind music to

the
>University.
>
>He once told me that he began scour bookstores, etc. in Europe
early
>on and purchased old method books for woodwinds (which are now
housed
>in the rare book room at the Univerity Music Library) and woodwind
>music. At this time (40-s and 50's?) there was not much available

for
>the student flutist of quality (I remember Voxman saying that the
>choice was limited for the most part to bird-tweeting songs, etc.)

It
>was at this time that he put together the Advanced Method books
for
>flute and the Selected Studies (Rubank), both of which I use with
>great frequency with younger students (even though I probably have

all
>the duets memorized!).
>
>The music building at the University was named the Voxman Music
>Building in his honor last spring. Voxman is a modest, very
gracious
>man. It is a wonderful idea to honor him at the NFA-Chicago
>convention. I'll contact Patti Adams and suggest this.
>
>Jan Boland
>JBOLAND@-----.edu
>http://wwwacn.cornell-iowa.edu/~JBOLAND

*******************************************
Bruce Currie
Wheaton, Illinois
e-mail: BCurrie101@-----.com
*******************************************