Dad taking a bow at a concert of his Little Symphony of Chicago. The musicians in the orchestra were all top Chicago players. Concertmaster Robert Quick had been a friend of Dad's at least as far back as 1935. He was also our neighbor in Wilmette. He lived one block north and one block west of us. The Quicks and my parents would socialize frequently.

One day in 1964 Robert Quick came to the house to play Beethoven String Trios with Dad and my brother Dale, just for fun. (Dale was only thirteen or fourteen at the time.) This was during the period when I had borrowed the euphonium from Ed Kleinhammer, and was preparing for my trombone recital. I wanted in on the action, and begged to be permitted to read through a movement with them, playing the cello part on euphonium. The very notion visibly repulsed Mr. Quick, who was reluctant. I guess he thought of it as being like reciting Hamlet's soliloquy while wearing a Bozo the clown outfit. However, my father indulged me. As I recall, I held up my end quite well, but I was allowed only one movement. But I sensed the resistance, and it didn't help my feelings of inferiority about being a brass player rather than a string player. I don't remember ever seeing Mr. Quick again after that day.