My grandfather, Paul Anish, always had a passion for music. Before his retirement, he worked as the music chairman at Seth Low Junior High School, sharing his passion with thousands. This baby grand piano traveled with him and his wife, my grandmother Pearl Anish, from house to house as they moved around Brooklyn through the years. Paul passed away last year at the age of 81, leaving the strings, hammers, and keys of this piano silent. It now rests in the living room of my grandmother's house, in stillness, reminding us of the love and music he brought to everyone he knew.
Dear Seth,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry on the loss of your grandfather, Paul Anish. My deepest condolences to you and your family.
Paul was my music teacher at George Westighouse Vocational & Technical H.S., in Brooklyn, between 1962 and 1965. I played trumpet in his school band.
I had the opportunity to go to the H.S. of Music and Art. I had played principal trumpet for the previous two years in the Brooklyn Boro-Wide Jr. H.S. Orchestra. Instead of M&A, I chose to go to the Westinghouse Technical Electronics program instead. Your grandfather could not understand why. This served me well, as I ended up with a 32 year career at the IBM Corporation.
As a kid I was a "hot shot" trumpet player. Paul took advantage of that while I was at Westinghouse. He utilized my musical skills and talents whenever we could. He loved his music and he loved teaching us about it. He made us better musicians. I still play regularly and professionally.
I ran into to your grandfather again in the mid-1970s when he and your grandmother, Pearl, and I were all living in the Flatlands section of Brooklyn. I lost touch with him again when my family and I moved to N.J. in 1983.
Your grandfather was a great teacher and musician. He was also a good man and neighbor. I am so saddened to learn of his passing. May God keep and rest his soul.
Respectfully,
Richard A. Macri
Richard,
DeleteI'm so sorry that I didn't see this post sooner. I've been away from the site for a while and just recently found your comment. Thank you very much for reaching out. It's truly amazing how his passion for music reached so many people! Do you have an email address? I showed your comment to Pearl and she would love to get in touch with you.