Harry Franklin Houdeshel, Jr.

So you don’t have to pay to read the local obituaries:

Harry F. Houdeshel, Professor Emeritus of Flute, at Indiana University School of Music 1960-1985, passed away peacefully in his Bloomington Home early Thursday morning January 4, 2007.

Harry’s music career began in Bethlehem, PA when at age 12, he became the youngest musician to acquire union membership. During the Depression, he earned money for his household playing the flute in silent movie theaters and jazz saxophone in nightclubs (with his father as chaperone). Still, from his earliest memories, Harry always knew he wanted to play flute.

Harry graduated from Kickinson College in Carlisle, PA where he met the love of his life, Ruth Dohanue. While in college, Harry was the Principal Flute for the Harrisburg Symphony and continued in this position after college while studying with William Kincade, noted flutist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Later, he earned his master’s degree from the Washington Musical Instititute in Washington, DC.

In 1941, Harry auditioned for the US Navy Band/Symphony Orchestra. After being awarded the position, he enlisted in the Navy. During the war years he embraced an active schedule, frequently as a soloist which included band and orchestra concerts, war bond drives, and countless Voice of America broadcasts. Across America, Harry and the Navy Band capitvated audiencies on more than 28 nationwide tours. He was a soloist in major cities in South America when the Navy Band was selected to accompany President Eisenhower on his Good Will Tour in 1960. This experience, so filled with success and tragedy, confirmed his belief that music could unite people more than diplomacy.

In August of 1960, Harry was appointed to the faculty of the Indiana University School of Music to teach undergraduate and graduate students as well as perform as a member of the American Woodwind Quintet. Representing Indiana University on sabbatical in Europe, he performed recitals in Spain, France, Germany and Italy. He loved both performing and teaching and was proud to contribute to the wonderful accomplishments of the Indiana University School of Music. Harry’s former students are teaching public school systems throughout the U.S. and Canada, in major colleges and universities, and performing in symphony orchestras in Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas Ft. Worth, Tulsa, Edmonton and Winnipeg.

Summer music schools from Maine to the Rockies were another important aspect of Harry’s musical contributions, which he participated in for nearly twenty years, always including his family in the travels. The culmination of these summer experiences led to the request for Harry to establish a woodwind department at the Banff School of Fine Arts, in Canada, which he headed for five seasons.

Harry’s greatest love was his family, who will sorely miss his wisdom, kindness, wonderful sense of humor and his zest for life. He is survived by Ruth, his wife for sixty-five years and his three children, Pete, of Salt Lake City, UT, Lo of Cincinnati, OH, and Marc of Maryville, TN– all graduates of I.U.. He also has three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, triplets.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that friends honor his memory through the Harry F. Houdeshel Flute Scholarship at the IU Jacobs School of Music. Gifts can be made out to the IU Foundation, Box 500, Bloomington, IN, 47402. Please specify “The Harry Houdeshel Flute Scholarship” on the memo line.

On a personal note, he was my flute teacher, willing to spin me tales of romance in order to bring Saint-saens to life for me. That’s probably another post.