When you lose a mentor, you do what you can to hold on to your memories of that person, Lawrence O. Koch, owner of the Braun School of Music in Pottsville, said Friday.
Koch, 74, was speaking of Arthur L. Delpaz, who had been band director and a music instructor at Pottsville High School from 1954 to 1974. Koch graduated from Pottsville in 1957.
Delpaz died Sept. 30, 2013, a few months before his 85th birthday, in San Francisco. He was interred in Hometown, Koch said.
"If it wasn't for him, there'd be no me. I don't think I'd be what I am if it wasn't for him," Koch said.
Koch, author of the 1999 book "Yardbird Suite: A Compendium of the Music and Life of Charlie Parker," has been collecting information on Delpaz's life and he's written a short biography of the former band director.
Born in Mahanoy City, Dec. 19, 1928, Delpaz was a son of Joseph and Charity Delpaz.
"He was a prize pupil of Dr. Robert Braun at the Braun School of Music during the early 1940s, and later did several stints as a piano teacher at that venue," Koch said.
Delpaz was a 1946 graduate of Mahanoy City High School. In 1950, he earned a bachelor's degree in music education at West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
He joined the staff of Muncy High School for the 1950-51 school year. Then he joined the Army and, for two years, he was assigned to the 47th Infantry Division band at Camp Rucker, Ala., as a clarinetist, drum major, assistant director and first sergeant, Koch said.
He returned to Muncy High School as a staff member for a little more than a year before coming to Pottsville Area High School for the 1954-55 term, Koch said.
"Arthur followed the grand tradition established by Prof. Leo Minnichbach who had been killed in an auto accident in March of 1954, but greatly expanded the numbers and possibilities of the PHS marching band, ably assisted by phys. ed. instructor Edwin Hasler who had added a corps of flag twirlers in 1954," Koch said in a biography of Delpaz he wrote.
In 1956, Koch was a junior at Pottsville Area High School who played saxophone and clarinet, and he wanted to pursue music as a career.
That year, he and Delpaz established the first stage band in the county, The Crimsonaires, Koch said.
"It was dedicated to the performance of jazz and popular music," Koch said.
Delpaz also contributed many original arrangements to the marching band's repertoire, including the old folk tune "Little Red Wing" and the 1950s Georgia Gibbs pop hit "Tweedle-dee-dee," Koch said.
"He also wrote music for the marching band and Kiltie's bagpipes to perform together. In addition, he also used a splinter group as a pep band to play at basketball games," Koch said.
What made Delpaz a great teacher was his natural ability "to communicate with people," Koch said.
"He was just a great guy. He was instrumental, no pun intended, in trying to get me into college, helping me prepare to get into music school, lessons on theory and so forth. You couldn't just be a good player. And back then you couldn't just major in saxophone. That was a secondary instrument. And he was kind of a model for me as a teacher. He was personable. He didn't push. He just inspired us," Koch said.
On Friday, Koch had copies of the 1956 and 1957 editions of the high school's yearbooks. Delpaz signed Koch's 1957 yearbook: "Very best wishes to a very talented musician. Many thanks for all the things you've done for the instrumental music department, pep band, Crimsonaires, concert band, marching band. I will miss you. Best of everything."
Koch earned degrees in music with majors in piano and woodwinds from West Chester State College. He and his wife, Marilou A., who have owned the Braun School of Music at 607 Mahantongo St. since 1969.
Delpaz went on to earn master's and doctorate degrees, Koch said, but he wasn't sure from what college or university.
Delpaz left Pottsville Area to take a job as a college music theory professor at Salisbury State College in Salisbury, Md. He worked there until his retirement in the 1990s. Then he moved to San Francisco, Koch said.
"I was in contact with him until he died, through email and stuff. He had no close relatives," Koch said.
Arthur was privately laid to rest at the Sky View Cemetery near Hometown, Koch said.