Jet Propelled Flutist

Dr. Allan at his flute lesson

During his flute lesson today I asked Allan when he first began studying with me. "Oh, right before I turned 70. That was 13 years ago."

Periodically over those 13 years Allan would humbly ask to be excused from the following week's lesson. His reason? "I have to go to Washington D.C. to get some sort of award" or "I have to go to Japan. Their government wants to talk to me about jet propulsion".

What?

This is the same lovely man who listens attentively as I preach to him about breath support, rhythm, fingerings, and performance technique. He is unfailingly kind, quietly witty, and extremely teachable.

I Googled him today. It made for some interesting reading.

You might want to peruse some of his papers. Perhaps you'll want to check out his 1974 Melville Medal or 1982 Henry R. Worthing Medal. Or maybe you just want to read about Effects of Leading Edge Sweep on the Cavitating Characteristics of Inducer Pumps.

Me? I just give the man flute lessons. Well, I also gave him a tube of Virtuoso Lip Balm...

...just in case he wants to switch careers.