On May 8, 1962, the day after my BSO audition, I had an appointment at Peabody to see Dr. Kent, my former graduate advisor at Indiana University SofM. When I entered his office, I noticed a bottle of whiskey on his desk. He said that the students had presented him with the gift and showed me an article in that day’s Baltimore Sun about his having been just appointed Director. After just a couple of years as Dean, he had been chosen to lead the Institute. I was so happy for him and could see the joy in his demeanor. After offering my congratulations, he began talking about a recent acquisition sitting on a table by his desk: a Moog Synthesizer. That was my introduction to the digital world.
A few minutes later, his phone rang. When he whispered “it’s Howard Hanson.” As I got up to leave, Dr. Kent said, “no, stay.” When the call was over, he said that Peabody’s application for a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) program had been approved. Dr. Hanson, Director of the Eastman School of Music, was chairman of the Committee. Kent was elated. So in one day, three factors converged: Dr. Kent’s appointment, the DMA approval and my being witness to both. Little did I know at the time how significant this convergence would become.
Upon returning to Texas, I wrote a thank you to Dr, Kent saying how much I enjoy visiting Peabody and being with him on such a special day.* To our surprise he wrote back and asked if I’d be interested in teaching at Peabody while pursuing a DMA. He added that he was interested in getting five bona fide applicants into the program to get it off to a good start. He also offered Missy a job in the office. We quickly accepted and suddenly our plans took an 180° turn; instead of going to San Francisco, we were headed to Baltimore.
*Looking out of his office window at Mt. Vernon Square that day with all the trees in bloom was also extraordinary.