Posted by Andrew on October 19, 2000 at 07:56:57:
I first sought out John when I was 15 for some private lessons. He was only 9 years older than me. The first lesson was completely revelatory....I'd simply never heard anything like this before...not just technically but MUSICALLY. And I've heard nothing like it since. Later I became a tuba student of his at the Royal Academy of Music in London. John didn't actually teach there but would have each pupil at his home. In my case being able to stay for hours on end was the norm....he was just the most incredibly generous person with his time and advice. John's teaching style was non-didactic, non-pedagogical. He taught through musical and technical example, always humourously, sometimes referring pupils to other teachers. John had a very unusual and eccentric embouchure particularly in the higher register which no-one else could possibly duplicate. He also found it extremely difficult to double-tongue. Unbelievably those fast passages were ALL single-tongued. He was an extremely modest person and was for ever questioning his own playing and his ability to maintain the highest standards throughout his career. He DID find certain things difficult but worked incessantly at them. He was a completely inspired and inspiring musician. I had the very good fortune in returning to him at 34 to be his first M.Mus student and he was just the same! In fact I'd been one of his very first and last students. His tragic death a few months later was an enormous loss to music. I would love to have a copy of that video!