I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in March, 1952. My primary thought was to join the Air Force, leave Philly and control my own destiny. As the train departed Reading Terminal for Geneva, NY, I felt “free at last” – “free at last”! After an overnight ride, the train arrived at Sampson AFB and I soon realized that I was now under a different kind of authority as my squadron set out for eight weeks of basic training.
From the age of 18 to 21, I performed in Air Force Bands while life was dictated by military routines. My tour of duty, however, opened-up the world of travel and also provided experiences with fine musicians, all of whom had profound effects on the directions my life would take in the years to come. Initially, it was Eastman School of Music musicians stationed at Sampson AFB who had enlisted, as I had, to avoid the draft. Later, additional tours of duty in Nashville, TN and St. Johns, Newfoundland, provided opportunities to perform as a soloist, with stage bands as well as with jazz ensembles on Military bases in the US, Canada and Greenland. While stationed in TN, I performed on WSM’s weekly “Sunday Down South” radio show emanating from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville where the Grand Ole Oprey’s show appeared on Saturday nights during the 1950s. These experiences solidified the fact that music would be my calling. Although pop and jazz were my foremost activities, still lurking in the back of my mind was the notion that I could become a classical musician like my cousin Paul and, in doing so, eventually perform in symphony orchestras. To move in that direction, I applied for admission to the Indiana University School of Music prior to being discharged from the USAF in January 1956. The Assistant Director of Admissions, however, rejected my application. Upon being discharged, I returned to Philadelphia to live with my parents and work once again in my father’s store.