Building Bridges With Music

After over sixty years of teaching and finally retiring for the third time in May of 2016, I felt the urge to write down the many stories I have experienced during my long life. This book covers occurrences from my early childhood in Nazi Germany, emigrating to the United States at age ten, my education on the high school and college levels, my years in the army (an education, to be sure, albeit of a different kind), as well as the many professional experiences as a composer, conductor, teacher, author and administrator both in America and abroad. I have tried to relate the many encounters with some of the most important personalities in the world of music, the other arts, academia, religion, and even politics. My life has been blessed with a most supportive family, many good friends, and a host of students who have made my teaching years rewarding and colorful. Building Bridges with Music seems to have been part of my destiny and I have embraced this enthusiastically whenever the opportunity presented itself. I invite you to have this experience with me through this book. --Samuel Adler