LAST PAGE: Stan Gosek, 74
For the love of music
By Mary Beth Roach
As he prepares for another summer of sunset concerts in Oswego County and Harborfest, for which he serves on the entertainment committee, Stan Gosek, 74, chats with us about his long career in the music industry; and how the one-time chair of the SUNY Oswego Music Department is carrying on the legend of his musical mentors Weldon Grose and Hugh Burritt with the concert series that Grose began in the 1930s.
The series continues at Breitbeck on July 31 and Aug. 1 at Fair Haven, and then on Aug. 21 at Breitbeck and Aug. 22 at Fair Haven. The shows are at 7 p.m. and are free.
Q: You’ve said that you knew from the youngest age that you were going to be a musician. How did you know?
A: Neither of my parents were quote, unquote musicians. They were both fine church singers and that’s where I got connected to the church and that led to my organ career. My parents loved music. They just wanted all of us [Stan and his siblings] to be involved, to have that emotional experience of doing music. They bought me my first drum set when I was 4. When I took accordion, I was 5 years old. Virtually all the rest of the students were adults. From age 13, I’ve been a keyboard player. I’ve trained on pipe organ, piano, electronic keyboard and on accordion.
Q: You are well-versed in a number of instruments. What is your instrument of choice?
A: I’m a pianist. I’ve played 100s of classical events — recitals, concerts — and I’ve played 100s of jazz events. The two groups at the college that I directed — Solid State and the State Singers — over the course of my career, they did 700 performances with me. We used to do 20 to 25 performances a year for 25 years.
Q: Why did you opt to stay in education?
A: That’s what I’ve been most proud of — the thousands of students I taught and affected. I’ve always loved teaching, especially with music. Teaching in any academic course you have testing; you have ways of measuring students’ success. That’s all good, but it’s not the same as a performance. That connectivity. There’s no second chances. When I say ‘Play,’ it’s time to play. Are you going to do your best? Will you be perfect? No. You’re going to make mistakes. I can deal with that, IF you prepared yourself and you’re going to do your best. The overall event is predicated on your energy. What is the one thing that people say when we perform? ‘You guys are having so much fun.’ We are too — the joy that the band feels within itself. It’s about the energy. Do you bring the joy to it that the audience can palpably feel and see? These things are all connected.
Q: You’ve been composer, a performer, an educator. Is there something still in the music industry you want to do?
A: I’m going to say no because I’m still doing all these things. In the first concert (in this summer concert series), we’re doing a new piece I just wrote. I’m always writing. Since I’ve retired, how many new big band charts have I written? 17-18. I’ve written 300 in my career. From ‘72 to the present, there’s never a year that I don’t write. I also have my own big band, the Freefall orchestra that does all of my original material. It predominantly does festivals.
Q: This is your 35th season leading the Summer Stage Band. Why is it important to you to continue the legacy?
A: As I introduce the tunes, I don’t just say, “We’re going to play ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’ by Benny Goodman. Let’s go.’ I give a little intro to every tune. I’m educating in a way. We have 300-400 people for every show. You can’t believe how many people will come up to me afterward. Older folks say. ‘I remember that.’ But then younger people — 30, 40 years old — will say, ‘That was fascinating. I didn’t know any of that. That’s so cool.’ I’ve always felt an allegiance and an importance towards jazz as a jazz musician and I want to make sure that the legacy continues.