Axel Dressler
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MUSIC HISTORY IN BLACK RIVER FALLS FALLS HISTORY PROJECT 2005 HISTORY OF THE PROJECT INTRODUCTION How do we actively engage students in the study of history? This is the ongoing challenge that history teachers must face at the secondary level. Historian David Blight of Yale University suggests that "all historical experience . must be imagined before it can be understood." One way to engage students and their imaginations more fully is to connect them to the actual process of "doing" history and relate that process to an increased understanding of their local environment. Indeed, the story of Black River Falls and the surrounding area provides a rich and diverse landscape for historical research. OVERVIEW The Falls History Project was initiated during the 2001-02 school year with the intention of promoting history education at BRFHS and connecting our students more authentically to the history of our region. As a symbolic beginning for the project, we established a permanent display related to Corporal Mitchell RedCloud, Jr., a BRFHS graduate who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism in the Korean War. His life story offers a compelling example of the power of memory in our community. Our intention is that the project will be ongoing and that it will involve a number of teachers and students. 2005 marked our fourth full year. COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT INTERNSHIP An advanced senior history student serves as a department intern and helps develop the project each year. This is designed for a student that has completed AP US History and has a particular interest in history. ORAL HISTORY WORK The central component of the project involves the gathering of oral history. The focus of the interviews depends on the particular aspect of local history that we are dealing with at the time. We have had a different focus each year. The intern first researches the topic under consideration and then conducts four interviews. The interviews are taped, transcribed, and ultimately compiled in a publication that is made available to the public. RESEARCHING LOCAL DOCUMENTARY SOURCES Each intern is introduced to the sources of history available at the "Jackson County History Room" of the BRF Public Library, particularly the microfilm archives of local newspapers. Preliminary research is conducted in the History Room. THE FALLS HISTORY PROJECT ARCHIVE In the fall of 2003 we established an archive to house the materials that are being gathered in our research. The archive is located in the high school LMC and the materials are made available for our younger history students for primary research. Over time, we expect the archive to become a rich source of local history for future generations of students. THE FALLS HISTORY PROEJCT WEB SITE We have developed a FHP web site to document our work with the project. The web site includes numerous photographs and interview transcripts. It can be accessed at the Social Studies Department homepage, accessed from the high school page. 2 PAST AND PRESENT EDITIONS 2001-02 PROJECT Andi Jo C. was our first intern. Her work focused on World War II. She interviewed local veterans, including Bob Teeples, Elmo Johnson, Vilas Johnson, and Floyd Pratt. 2002-03 PROJECT Kristen B. was our second intern. The focus of the project in 2003 was on Black River Falls in the 1930s. Kristen interviewed Ozzy Moe, Bob Pratt, Lillian McManners, and George Brudos. 2003-04 EDITION: BLACK RIVER FALLS IN 1952 Jill J. served as our third intern. The focus of Jill’s project was BRF in 1952. Jill interviewed Jean and Janet Krohn, Dick Faldet, and Basil Holder, all of whom were students at BRFHS in 1952. She also interviewed Sam Young who was in the early years of his long coaching and teaching career at the school. 2004-05 EDITION: MUSICAL HISTORY OF BLACK RIVER FALLS Our 2004-05 intern was Kirsten B.. Kirsten’s love of music prompted her to explore the impact of several personalities on the musical history of the community. THIS YEAR'S INTERVIEWEES AXEL DRESSLER: INTERVIEWED NOVEMBER 11, 2004 LARRY HANSEN: INTERVIEWED NOVEMBER 11, 2004 RICHARD CAMLEK: INTERVIEWED NOVEMBER 11, 2004 DICK DENO: INTERVIEWED NOVEMBER 30, 2005 MARGARET SEVERSON: INTERVIEWED DECEMBER 17, 2004 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION If you wish to have further information concerning the Falls History Project, contact Paul Rykken at Black River Falls High School. 715-284-4324 (#2226) [email protected] 3 Axel Dressler November 11, 2004 Falls History Project Interview Interviewer: Kirsten A. Bjerke KB: What is your name? AD: My name is Axel Dressler. KB: When and where were you born? AD: I was born in 1947 in Munster Germany. KB: Munster? AD: Munster, it sounds kind of like the Munster cheese, but it isn’t it’s a totally different town. It’s a little town in northern Germany. KB: Where did you grow up then? AD: Well I grew up through age nine in Germany, then my family decided to emigrate to the US, and we moved to Reedsburg, Wisconsin, and that’s where I was introduced to playing a string instrument, that’s where I learned how to play Cello, and was interested in music, and from there I moved to Watertown, and that’s where I went to high school. KB: Where did you go to college after that? AD: After going to high school in Watertown, I started at UW Whitewater and was a physics major, and decided to transfer to UW Oshkosh and go into music, so that’s where I graduated then in 1970, with a bachelor in music education degree. KB: Why did you choose music as a career? AD: I’ve come from quite a musical family, my father studied to be a classical pianist, and as a young child we listened to classical music, to the symphonies, choral works, all sorts of music, and it was always an interest of mine and I always thought I wanted to do something in my life with music. KB: You said you started out as a Physics major, what made you change your mind? AD: Well I had lots of interest, when I was at UW Whitewater I also played cello in the orchestra and I really truly enjoyed that. It was a choice, was I going to stay in Physics or music, I think the love of music took over and that’s why I changed. KB: Did you have any early influences, any people who might have shaped your music? AD: My father for sure, I remember as a little boy sitting on his lap as he was practicing and playing the piano, and I was always touched by, there was one particular song that I remember he played that I thought was so very, very beautiful, and so I would plunk around on the piano even as a little child and play things, and then as I went to school and learned to play in the orchestra I really enjoyed that, and my high school orchestra director in Watertown, Wisconsin was a big influence in my deciding to do that also. KB: When did you start teaching here in Black River? AD: I came here in January of 1970, so that was in the middle of the year, and I was hired as an orchestra teacher. KB: How long did you work here? AD: I worked redeveloping the orchestra program until 1989 or ’90, and so that was almost twenty years and then I had the opportunity to go into band and I thought, well I’ve done orchestra almost twenty years, and so I became a band director I believe in 1990. KB: When did you retire? AD: I retired in 2002, so I’ve been retired two years. KB: After college did you come straight here, did you have other options? AD: Back in 1970 it was quite different than it is today to get a job. Today for an opening there might be 300 applicants or 50 depending on the demand for music teacher. Back in 1970 I wrote in an application to the then superintendent and he called me up Christmas Eve and said I had the job and I came here in January and started teaching. 4 KB: How come you came midterm? AD: That just happened to be when I graduated, it took me longer than four years to get through college, that’s why so it just turned out that way. KB: Why did you choose to apply at Black River? Did you apply other places? AD: I believe I only maybe sent out two applications, it was mid year so first if all there weren’t that many openings and this was the first place I applied and I got the job and initially I thought maybe I’d stay in a small town for two three years, and then maybe move on, but roots grow fast and deep. KB: What all did you teach when you first came here? AD: Well, that was quite interesting, even though I was hired to teach orchestra, to develop the program but I also had to teach kindergarten music, I remember I used to get in my old car and drive to Millston which is a little town away from here, and they had their own school, this was a consolidated school district and taught some elementary classes and then drove to Hixton and did the same thing there, taught some elementary classes, so orchestra by far wasn’t the only thing that I taught. KB: How did that change over the years? AD: Well over the years for various reasons the school district decided that outlying schools needed to be closed for financial reasons I would assume, so I didn’t need to go, I wasn’t required to teach music at those schools and then the orchestra program grew, I believe when I came here there were maybe twelve students, and that changed to at one time I think we had sixty string players, and a lot of things have changed from the 70’s to 2002.