1924-1950 Kubitz

Karl Kubitz     1924 – 1950

Carl Henry Kubitz was born April 3, 1902 in Columbus, WI.  He grew up in Galena, IL with a strict, German father, a Wisconsin Synod Lutheran pastor (Brandt, 2005, p. 1).  The Kubitz family could form an 8 piece orchestra comprised of its members alone.  Carl studied cornet, violin, flute, and piano at home.  For a more “distinguished” name and “balanced monogram,” he changed the spelling of his name to Karl in 1920.  Kubitz went to Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, where he studied chemistry and science but had no music classes (p. 2).  In addition to teaching flute at the college, in 1924, he conducted the Augustana College Band and took them on a 1300 mile tour through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois (p. 3).  After graduating in 1924, Kubitz was hired as the band, orchestra, and general science teacher at Freeport High School with an initial salary of $2000 per year (School Board, 1924-1927, p. 6).  Kubitz was married in 1932 to Mary Jane Willie (Brandt, 2005, p. 6).  His graduate work was completed at the University of Wisconsin during the summers of 1932, 1938, and 1939.  Kubitz also played flute in (and conducted) the Freeport Concert Band, Tri-City Symphony in Davenport, IA, and 9 other local ensembles (p. 5).  At the end of the 1959 school year, Kubitz resigned, unhappy with the district administration.  He returned to his science background, employed at Micro Switch as a technician, and later, engineer (p. 10).    

National Happenings:

Music education historian, Edward Baily Birge (1966) wrote that from the 1920s to 1930s, a first rate high school music curriculum included mixed chorus; boys’ and girls’ glee-clubs; first and second orchestras, bands, and classes for instruction on all instruments; and classes in vocal technique, harmony, counterpoint and composition, music appreciation, and history. 

Choruses perform standard oratorios, the glee clubs sing part songs, cantatas and light   operas, and the orchestras play the symphonies of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven and many of the best overtures and suites, both classic and modern.  The bands are of symphonic fullness in instrumentation and perform the standard selections of band literature. (p. 172)                                                            

To thoroughly understand the history of instrumental music education, Dr. Joseph Edgar Maddy must be discussed.  Maddy held the position of instrumental music supervisor in Rochester, New York public schools in 1918.  He then moved on to Richmond, Indiana in 1920, where he developed complete symphonic instrumentation within two years.  He took his 65-piece orchestra to the 1922 annual meeting of the Music Supervisors’ National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee and gave a one-hour concert (Bellamy, 1934, p. 565).  The first All-State orchestra was formed in 1922 by Ralph C. Sloan, head of public school music at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.  Dr. Maddy conducted the All-State orchestra in 1924 and envisioned something even greater (Hash, 2009, p. 2).  Maddy formed the National High School Orchestra [NHSO] in 1926 in an effort to bring together honors students from across the country.  This ensemble included 246 out of 400 All-State students from 34 states.  The NHSO met in 1926, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1932, and 1938.  Enjoying much success with this program and desiring more than one week with such exemplary students, Maddy formed the National High School Orchestra Camp in 1928, which later became known as Interlochen (p. 50).  These two ensembles had an impact on orchestras both nationally and in Freeport.  Two Freeport High School Orchestra students were chosen in 1930 to perform with the NHSO, one of whom was given a scholarship to attend the camp as well.  Ernest Seeman would go on to become a 36-year tenured director of the Freeport School District Orchestras. 

            Another national development was the contest movement, first with high school bands and then followed by orchestras.  Fifteen states held contests in 1928, rising to 30 states by 1929.  The first national contest was held in 1929 in Mason City, Iowa, followed by other Midwest hosts Lincoln, Nebraska in 1930, and Cleveland, Ohio in 1931 (Humphreys, 1989, p. 57).

            In the wake of strengthening band programs throughout the 1920s and 1930s, school orchestras declined.  By 1940, only 88 orchestras and 430 string soloists participated in regional competitions, while 436 bands and 3,260 wind and percussion soloists participated (Hash, 2009, p. 53).  Across the nation, there was a 14% decrease in string students and a 77% increase in other instrumentalists from 1934-1941.  A study in Iowa noted a 25% decrease in orchestras but a 300% increase in bands from 1931-1941.  National trends indicated a slight increase in orchestras again in the 1950s, but this trend did not continue (p.54). 

Freeport School Music:

Kubitz was instrumental in building a school district budget for the music program.  In September 1924, he was given $500 for the purchase of band instruments, and later that year, the board again set aside $1000 for band and orchestra instruments (School Board, 1924-1927, pp. 17, 80).  Kubitz informed the board of an urgent need for the following instruments:  1 string bass $40, 2 cellos $40, and 3 violas $30 (p. 85).  Under Kubitz’s direction, the programs received much more financial support from the board.  He was able to procure band uniforms, instruments, music, repairs, and folios.  In 1925, the board again allocated $1330 for the purchase of 14 band instruments (pg 165). 

            In 1925, the high school orchestra rehearsed twice per week.  Kubitz requested more string players from the student population and received a good response (Polaris, 1926, p. 100).  By 1926, students would climb the metal, spiral staircase to the attic of the high school 5 times per week for rehearsals.  Students at the 5 grade schools and a group at the junior high were also in training to replace graduating musicians (Polaris, 1927, p. 114).  At this time, the junior high included 7th and 8th grades, until 1952, when 9th grade joined the school (Tilden, 1972, p. 448).  Ernest Seeman was a grade school student in 1926 and recalled starting with a fiddlette in 5th grade.  “It was a piece of 2x4 with strings.  Then my folks got me an attic fiddle for $20” (Birdsell, May 5-6, 1984, p. 8).  Seeman and many other students took private violin lessons from Orville Westgor for 25 cents per session.  Westgor came to Freeport from Dixon each week at Kubitz’s request (Birdsell, January 28, 1987, p. 6).  Willard Rubendall, who was a high school teacher, also assisted with the program.  In 1927, Rubendall conducted a small orchestra of grade school students from First Ward, Center, and Union schools.  Seeman recalls practicing once a week in the attic of Union School and playing a concert on the small stage at Center School.  “The concert included ‘Watermelon Dance’ from the Willis First Graded Orchestra Book,” which Freeport still has in its music library (personal communication, 1971).  Interestingly, this method series is a collection of pieces arranged by Dr. Maddy.  According to Myron McLain, a student and future director of the Freeport Orchestra, in 1944, Kubitz and Seeman taught at the grade schools twice each week, including the grade school in the local township of Cedarville (personal communication, January 4, 2010). 

            Kubitz’s first orchestra had 13 violins, 1 cello, 1 double bass, 1 flute, 3 clarinets, 1 horn, 2 cornets, 2 trombones, and 2 drums.  In 1924, the band had 36 students.  Kubitz built the band both in numbers and in direction, taking it from an “old type of brass band to the very modern Symphonic Band.”  By 1930, the band grew to 79 members, and the orchestra grew to 22 strings in more balanced sections and 40 full orchestra members (Brandt, 2005, p. 9).  Kubitz recalled that when he first became the director, he

started with a snake show orchestra, rehearsing in the back room of Second Presbyterian Church with the janitor sweeping up clouds of dust.  The high school was across the street.  Bringing up the orchestra to symphonic proportions was the hardest labor of my life. (Birdsell, May 5-6, 1984, p. 8) 

In 1926, Kubitz was named Supervisor of Music for the Freeport School System.  By this time, he had organized a junior high band and orchestra, and the program had a new emphasis on performing at concerts for the sake of the music, not just as background for plays or operettas.  By 1932, the orchestra consisted of almost 50 players in balanced sections, and the ensemble studied “serious” literature, programming Mozart, Eric Coates, and Rimsky-Korsakov (Brandt, 2005, p. 9).

            Sample performance schedules follow:  1929-1930 appearances in October at the teachers’ reception given by the school board, November at an assembly with the vocal clubs, February for the Senior Class Play, March concert for the Woman’s Club, district contest in DeKalb, and operetta, May concert for the Kings’ Daughters at Odd Fellows Temple, two day music festival, and Junior Class Play (Polaris, 1930, p. 114); 1930-1931 appearances in December for a student assembly, January for the Senior Play, March district contest in Rockford and concert at the Odd Fellows’ Temple, April operetta, May two day music festival and Junior Class Play, and June for Cup Day and Commencement (Polaris, 1931, p. 120).  A program from the March 20, 1931 high school symphony orchestra concert lists the following selections:  “Overture” to The Magic Flute by Mozart, “Gavotte” from String Suite in C Major by Bach, First Movement from Violin Concerto VII by De Beriot (Ernest Seeman soloist), all four movements of Symphony No. 2 in D Major (London) by Haydn, “Sleeping Beauty Waltz” by Tchaikovsky, “Carnival of Venice” by Del Staigers, selections from “The Count of Luxembourg” by Lehar, “The Donkey and the Driver” by Leonard, and “Cripple Creek” by Stringfield.  Beginning in 1934, the orchestra added another engagement to its yearly calendar, holiday vesper services, which would later become the long-running tradition of the Christmas Pageant.

            Right in line with the national trend, in 1929, the Freeport orchestra entered District Contest for the first time.  They earned a 2nd place rating against Joliet’s 80-piece orchestra with full symphonic instrumentation.  John Heiden (violin), Ernest Seeman (viola), and Ward Moore (bass) had the honor of representing the Freeport High School Orchestra in the state meet at Champaign in November.  From this, Seeman and Moore earned a seat in the NHSO in Chicago, March 21-26, 1930.  This orchestra consisted of 311 students from 38 states (Polaris, 1930, p. 115).  The tradition of excellence would continue throughout the years as students were continually drawn from Freeport High School for the Illinois All-State Orchestras, and as the ensemble often earned 1st ratings at District Contest.

            In addition to being concertmaster of the orchestra and principal French horn, Seeman played harp in the band in 1931.  His first exposure to this instrument was at NHSOC, and he brought his newfound interest back to Freeport as a student.  Later, as a teacher, he instituted a harp program as part of the Freeport Orchestra (P. Seeman, personal communication, December 30, 2009).  

            In 1932, the Band and Orchestra Parents Association was formed by Mrs. H. H. Stahl, Mrs. Mentor Wheat, and Mrs. George Korf.  Whenever Kubitz was ill, Jerry Hoffman, the trumpet player with Sousa’s band, substituted (Tilden, 1972, p. 453). 

            In 1940, Ernest Seeman was hired to assist Kubitz with the instrumental music program.  Kubitz remained the director of the high school band and orchestra, and Seeman taught lessons at the grade schools, orchestra at the junior high, and twice weekly string sectionals at the high school (Birdsell, May 5-6, 1984, p. 8).  In 1950, Kubitz handed the orchestra over solely to the direction of Ernest Seeman, but continued to direct the high school band program until 1959.  In 1957, enrollment for grades 5-6 was 135 band and 55 string students, grades 7-9 was 95 band and 45 string students, and grades 10-12 was 60 band and 40 string students.  The junior high principal, Mr. Cully, requested that the training band meet daily instead of once per week.  The instrumental music staff stated, “We are presently meeting quite a number of our classes before and after school and cannot comply with Mr. Cully’s request with the present teaching load.”  Additionally, they argued that the high school students lack access to the directors and that the string specialist spends too much time travelling.  “We have outgrown the obsolete, poorly located high school band room.”  Together, the instrumental music department recommended another instrumental teacher, more rehearsal time for the two high school ensembles, an adequate rehearsal room and ancillary facilities, compliance with the junior high request for daily rehearsal, secretarial help, and a gradual increase in the supply of large instruments (Status of Instrumental Music in the Freeport Public Schools, 1957). 

            Kubitz’s philosophy of music education was quite clear to anyone who knew him.  He was considered strict and expected careful, accurate practice.  Kubitz stated: 

The aim of the band is to render a high grade of music at the numerous school functions, to acquaint its members and its listeners with some of the finer band literature, to develop an appreciation for fine music, and to provide vocational training for future professional musicians. (Brandt, 2005, p. 17)

He was highly disciplined and expected his students to be as well.  In fact, he even expected this of his audiences.  A letter written by Kubitz demonstrates both his high expectations and his temperament. 

I am angered at how numb we have become to the rudeness of flashbulb-popping photographers at our public concerts.  This nuisance was especially severe at the exceptionally fine concert of our junior high music department….  Game having become so scarce hereabouts, perhaps we could persuade the conservation department to declare an open season on the perpetrators of the above atrocity.

His sense of humor is also evident later in the letter when he notes that, of course, all firearms would be “equipped with silencers” (Brandt, 2005, papers). 

            Kubitz resigned in 1959, feeling that the school was no longer backing him or the program adequately.  His long tenure at Freeport and solid philosophy had many lasting effects.  Under his direction, both the band and orchestra programs developed the balance, numbers, dedication, financial support, and aesthetic value necessary for success.  He returned to Freeport High School in 1964 as a guest band conductor for the 15th Anniversary of Tri-II (p. 11).