Product Description
The title of Sonars
Riddle is an anagram of "Dr. Daniel Ross," and stands as a tribute to a
musician known for both his kindness and humor.
Dr. Daniel F. Ross (1944-2019) was a Professor of Music at
Arkansas State University, where he taught the double reed studio from 1968 to
2018. During his illustrious career, he became known as not only a world-class
musician, but an innovator in the field of reed-making with his Ross Gouging
Machine. As a performer, he served as Principal Oboist with the Arkansas
Symphony and performed with the North Arkansas Symphony, Arkansas Philharmonic
Orchestra, Tupelo Symphony, Delta Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Nashville
Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, and the St. Louis Chamber Music Society. He
was a frequent soloist with the Forum Sinfonia of Krakow, Poland, touring with
them in the United Stated and Europe. He held the title of Visiting Professor
of Oboe at the Academy of Music in Krakow, Poland and has been a soloist with
the St. Petersburg and Moscow Philharmonic orchestras in Russia.
As a teacher, Dr. Ross stressed the importance of expression.
For him, being a musician was an extension of being human. In order to make
music, one must cross the threshold from producing technically accurate sounds
into a mysterious and sometimes elusive realm of heart, love, compassion,
gentleness, and joy. In Dan Ross studio, one learned that a musician capable
of evoking strong emotions must first be a person of great character.
Dan Ross excelled in all things musical, but more
importantly, he was an excellent man. He may well be remembered as a great
musician, a great performer and teacher, or as an innovator in the art of reed
making. But his true legacy lies in the hearts that he touched and the lives
that he molded.
I count myself fortunate to have been one of many.
Sonars Riddle is a brief musical
portrait of Dr. Dan Ross, attempting to capture the essence of his kind spirit
and boundless humor.
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.