My participation included the clarinet years and extended into the early saxophone years as well. Appearances were weekly, every Sunday from 9 – 10:30 (AM). Mrs. Cadman directed and played the loudest violin I ever heard, often necessary when the band floundered.
At first, I was a clarinet player. I started on a straight metal clarinet, but Mr. Morochko was there, between shoe sales, to sell a wooden Selmer clarinet. It was a significant moment. Selmer and Buffett were the brands most desired at the time. A wooden clarinet was a positive step, but wooden clarinets required assembly and disassembly because of their many parts. Sometimes it seemed unfair. The clarinet is capable of so many annoying sounds. Thank God for Robbie and his trumpet.
Robbie never lacked in sincerity and was one of my all-time buds (I hope this is still true). He treated all the notes, the bad ones and the other ones too, with the same enthusiasm. More than once, Mrs. Cadman took pause and wondered in silent words (hopefully OK in Sunday School). When Robbie graduated to sousaphone, the church and neighboring counties took a deep breath.
I remember the afternoon I helped Robbie pick up his sousaphone from his local high school. I am not sure why it was important, but Robbie enjoyed the ride on the back of his top-down ’50 Ford convertible. It was the only time he ever let me drive. It was like a concert tour, sort of…It was Robbie’s moment as a soloist. I took the long route back to his house. Norwood was never the same. Nearby, Glenolden residents wondered. There were even reports of tremors in Harrisburg…
Mrs. Cadman was so tolerant.
Robbie and I evolved to saxophone and his string bass. Mrs. Cadman was happy…