Carol Rose Lewis - A Life of Music

The LaPorte County Symphony's First Emeritus Musician

My first experience playing the violin was in Jr. High School in La Porte, IN, when I began studying privately with Bianca von Weber Wakelee, a direct descendent of the composer, Carl Maria von Weber. After high school, my teacher encouraged me to continue my studies in college, and I received a scholarship to Northwestern University in 1937. During this time, an uncle, George Klein, Professor of music in Nuremburg, Germany, would send me music published in Leipzig.

Since I loved both art and music, and had studied both during high school and college, I eventually realized the necessity of choosing what my major would be. Music has from that point on been my forte!, though along with music, I did teach art for a few years.

After graduating with a BME from Northwestern in 1941, my first teaching job was at three small county schools in rural Indiana, Mt. Ayr High School, Thayer, and Roselawn. Thayer was a one room school. The following year, hoping for a better situation, and a job closer to home, I contacted Northwestern, and they sent me to teach at Madison Twp. High School, in Wyatt, Indiana, which is close to South Bend.

During this year, while attending teachers meetings in South Bend, I was introduced to Edwyn Hames, Founder and Conductor of the South Bend Symphony for the first 40 years. In those days, he had a studio above the old South Shore Station, a half a block from here. I decided to have private lessons with him in order to improve my performance.

It was shortly after that when he invited me to join the South Bend Symphony, then in its eleventh season. The symphony rehearsed above the South Shore Station then, but our concerts were held at Central School.

During the 1945-46 season, I took a leave of absence, as my son, Marc, was born in February. This was the only break from my Symphony career.

In 1949 I began teaching band and art at Westville High in LaPorte County, still closer to home. In those days, teaching was affected by politics, and when change occurred the next year, several teachers and I were without jobs! The LaPorte County Schools hired me right away, though, and I taught at several rural schools the following year. Additionally, I was hired part-time by the Michigan City Schools the next year to teach string music in several grade schools and in the junior high. Several years after, the county schools were absorbed by the city, and I was finally teaching full time in my hometown, and at one time, I taught string instruments in up to 11 grade schools and 2 junior highs before another teacher was hired to relieve my work load.

Throughout the transitional period, I had been attending summer classes at Northwestern, and in 1952, I received my Masters Degree in Music. Around this time, Palmer Myron, conductor of the Michigan City Symphony, asked me to be concertmistress, a position I held for five seasons.

About 1953 and for many years after, I attended string music educators' conferences, held at what was then called National Music Camp, in Interlochen, MI. One year, I was present and took part in forming NSOA, National School Orchestra Association, and am a charter member. These one week sessions, held post-camp, included lectures by prominent educators, and violin master classes, coached by great musicians such as Josef Gingold, for example. This provided the inspiration which helped me promote the interest and growth of string music students in Michigan City, which continued for many years.

By 1977, however, budget cuts forced the elimination of the string classes. Concerned parents of students previously enrolled in the string program approached the school board with the need for continuing education of these students. It was agreed by the director of Community Schools that the school facilities could be used, and Patricia Papp, one of the mothers, organized and became first president of the Michiana Orchestra Foundation, along with the help of several others. This was begun outside of school time and on a fee basis. I was hired to be executive director.

Attendance grew to include adults also. For the next two years, I continued teaching in the schools, but was only offered vocal music, and since my heart has always been with string music, I retired in 1979 after 28 years with Michigan City Schools.

After several semesters of study, the advanced group desired to form a full orchestra, and wind and percussion instruments were added. The Michigan City Community Symphony was formed in February, 1980. In April, the symphony became federated with the National Federation of Music Clubs. Over the next several years, I conducted a number of free concerts at various public places in Michigan City until the group disbanded about 1985.

A few years before 1980, I was asked to play viola in the La Porte Symphony, and did so for several seasons. Later, I played violin, and continued playing there for 25 years until retiring from that Symphony last year.

It is hard for me to believe, even after adding the figures, that it has been 60 years!