Re: [Harp-L] Reading Music

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Aongus Mac Cana" wrote:
<By the way I have been told by a few trustworthy sources that the late Larry
<Adler (who I regard as the Sean Maguire of the Chromatic Harmonica) could
<not read music. I find this hard to believe and presume they meant that he
<just was not an accomplished sight reader. Has anyone else heard this
<vicious libel?

A libel is malicious falsehood by definition.  Since Adler himself told the world that for much of his career he could not read, this is neither malicious nor false.

I acquired a method book by Adler when I was 17 years old, over 40 years ago.  In that book he recounted a terrifying tale of performing with an orchestra in Australia, on which occasion the conductor pointed to a passage in the score and asked Adler how he wanted the orchestra to play it.  According to Adler, he whispered to the conductor, "Please don't tell the orchestra, but I can't read music," to which the conductor replied "Very good, Mr. Adler, that is exactly what I wanted to know."  Adler followed that story with the words "Years later, after I learned to read music..."

So Adler was a world-famous artist before he learned to read.  Or so he claimed.  

Regards, Richard Hunter



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