ANNE HAGAN BENTZ:
David - My Experience
Hmmm...........
My relationship with David began in 1996 while we were both working on our Doctoral degrees at the University of Maryland. From that time on David became my coach, accompanist, mentor, sometime teacher and good friend. He played for me whenever possible; for my doctoral studies and many concerts after that, at my first job in Omaha Nebraska, for my job audition at Westminster College and subsequent performances including recitals and “The Concert of the Bugs” in Washington, D.C. And at Westminster College. We traveled to NATS conferences together, to Russia to perform, and all over the DC. Metropolitan area for recitals with the FMMC. What has tied together has been our shared experience of having worked over seas in Germany, through our love of music and our fascination with the workings of the voice.
Working with David has been a special experience for me. Once I found him I felt incomplete without him. Not only is his musicianship impeccable, but the way he plays is the most wonderful combination of masculine strength and feminine delicacy. I have told David over and over that having him play for me is like putting on your best dress and jewelry – one compliments the other and is incomplete without the other.
My favorite story about David has to do with his desire to be a singer, (I think). I discovered while working with him early on that David had this tendency to hum while accompanying his singers. Maybe he was trying to sing along, I don't know. At first I thought it was coming from some other source, but I soon found out that it had been a long standing habit of his that even Richard had tried to break him of, by tying a piece of string to his wrist and jerking it whenever he would start doing it. Obviously it wasn't successful because he would (and sometimes still does) hum during recitals. Once while playing for one of Rose Bello's doctoral recitals, it got so loud that the audience started to look around. Noone realized that it was David, but I did. He was mortified when he heard about it later and we all had a good laugh at his expense. Anne Hagan Bentz
Hmmm...........
My relationship with David began in 1996 while we were both working on our Doctoral degrees at the University of Maryland. From that time on David became my coach, accompanist, mentor, sometime teacher and good friend. He played for me whenever possible; for my doctoral studies and many concerts after that, at my first job in Omaha Nebraska, for my job audition at Westminster College and subsequent performances including recitals and “The Concert of the Bugs” in Washington, D.C. And at Westminster College. We traveled to NATS conferences together, to Russia to perform, and all over the DC. Metropolitan area for recitals with the FMMC. What has tied together has been our shared experience of having worked over seas in Germany, through our love of music and our fascination with the workings of the voice.
Working with David has been a special experience for me. Once I found him I felt incomplete without him. Not only is his musicianship impeccable, but the way he plays is the most wonderful combination of masculine strength and feminine delicacy. I have told David over and over that having him play for me is like putting on your best dress and jewelry – one compliments the other and is incomplete without the other.
My favorite story about David has to do with his desire to be a singer, (I think). I discovered while working with him early on that David had this tendency to hum while accompanying his singers. Maybe he was trying to sing along, I don't know. At first I thought it was coming from some other source, but I soon found out that it had been a long standing habit of his that even Richard had tried to break him of, by tying a piece of string to his wrist and jerking it whenever he would start doing it. Obviously it wasn't successful because he would (and sometimes still does) hum during recitals. Once while playing for one of Rose Bello's doctoral recitals, it got so loud that the audience started to look around. Noone realized that it was David, but I did. He was mortified when he heard about it later and we all had a good laugh at his expense. Anne Hagan Bentz