John Keil Richards
John Richards was born in Belgrade, Montana, March 21, 1918, the middle child, in a family of five children. His childhood was full of mirth, laughter, and joking due to the encouragement of his parents. He was the object of many family pranks. In self-defense, he became an incurable tease-a habit that he has yet to break.
When John was six or seven years old, someone discovered that he had perfect pitch. John spent his teen years in Payette, Idaho. Enjoying variety, he played D-flat clarinet, as well as saxophone in the high school band. One day the band needed a tuba player; he became the elected candidate. Never missing a challenge, he took a tuba home, discovered within a week he could play it, and "fell in love with the instrument". By the time he entered Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, he was very advanced in music, as he had been playing professionally since age 15. John came to Portland, Oregon (1947) to establish the Instrumental Music Department at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Later, John taught in and chaired the Education Department at Lewis & Clark and, for several years, held the position of Associate Dean. In 1987, John retired from Lewis & Clark, counting thousands of former students as valued friends. During his 38 years on campus he was something of a do-it-all -- teacher of many instruments, shepherd of the music department when it expanded into the Evans Music Building, campus psychologist and humorist, teacher of education and education department head. Dr. Richards is widely known as a collector of musical instruments. He began collecting instruments while he was still in high school. His collection of 600 musical instruments (some dating back to 1200 B.C.), his 38-year tuba-playing membership in the Oregon Symphony Orchestra and his yearly conducting of summer band concerts in Lake Oswego and in other county parks. His idea, then and now, is that instruments should be played --not merely seen. Each of his numerous instruments has been reconstructed and maintained in playing condition. His extensive background in musicology enables him to present the instruments in an interesting and informative manner, often tracing their history from primitive origins through each stage of development, culminating in their use in modern bands and orchestras. Dr. Richards has a notable record in World War II. He was on the Hospital Ship "Marigold" where he served as a medic. He assembled a few men who had school band experience and wrote music for them to play by listening to the radio and writing it down. Through his effort, a therapy program was established wherein patients learn to respond by hearing the music of their teen-age years. This program is still in use. He was in all Theaters of War from the invasion of Europe to the South Pacific and was in Tokyo before the surrender to Mac Arthur. He gathered instruments along the way. Before induction into the Army, he worked at Boeing Aircraft where he learned to shape metal. It is this skill that prepared him to become expert in the restoration of brass instruments. World travel has taken him to Europe, Asia, Balkans, Mideast, Africa, Central America, Russia and many other places. He has written extensively about these places and their people and his music has been heard by them. He and his family have lived in Hungary and Japan. Manufacturers of musical instruments have sought his scientific knowledge and expertise. Improvements in band instruments have been credited to him. The fiberglass bell used on Sousaphones is only one of John's contributions to the comfort of a marching player. John maintains his tuba and co-librarian positions with the Oregon Symphony and travels whenever possible. He has been married to his wife Dorothy, for 54 years and has six children. |
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