Katherine and Paul Welcomer

Where do professional musicians settle down when they have children and a clear understanding of the benefits a solid music education can deliver?

Katherine and Paul Welcomer chose Lafayette in 1993 when Paul took a job as a trombonist with the San Francisco Symphony.  Since then this couple has contributed time and expertise to help hone the talents of young Stanley musicians.

Although the Welcomers’ three young kids aren't yet ready for middle school, Katherine, a French horn player and former elementary school teacher, started volunteering three years ago in Stanley's music department. This year she’s teaching as an LASF specialist but continues to contribute volunteer hours.

“I get to tap into my teaching skills and work on this wonderful music again,” said Katherine.

Brass Beginnings

She first picked up the French horn in fifth grade, through an elementary school music program. Her father, a trumpet player, liked the instrument, so Katherine decided to give it a try.

“I remember watching Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra on television and really liking the shape of the French horn,” she said.

Katherine found she was good at an instrument not many other students played, and that meant extra opportunities to perform with high-quality musicians. She joined the Greater Boston Youth Symphony and the Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble, touring England and Germany with these groups while in high school.

Her interest eventually led to the New England Conservatory of Music for an undergraduate degree and Lesley College for a Master’s of elementary education. During this time Katherine studied with Boston Symphony horn players and performed in various New England symphonies. Along with fellow members of the Brookline Wind Quartet, she won a national competition and took the stage at Carnegie Hall.

“It was very exciting and really neat to see our little pictures on the billboard outside the hall,” she said.

From Stage to Classroom

Much as Katherine loved performing, she understood the difficulties of finding regular orchestral work. Classroom teaching, she decided, would blend her love of music, art and sewing.  She spent seven years with first- and second-graders, earning "teacher of the year" awards in two states.

“I loved teaching,” she said.  “It was one of the highlights of my whole life.”

Joy and Reward

After her family's move to California, Katherine opted for a stay-at-home mom gig instead of another classroom job.  But five years ago she pulled out her French horn and started giving private lessons.  Eventually, she connected with Bob Athayde, Stanley’s music director, and he invited her to work with his students.

“It's comforting to see kids in the middle school years still being children, still wanting to learn and enjoy the company of adults."

“I find the kids so eager, self-motivated and hardworking,” said Katherine. “They're respectful not only of me but each other, encouraging and applauding one another's efforts. It's comforting to see kids in the middle school years still being children, still wanting to learn and enjoy the company of adults.”

Because of her experience, Katherine is sold on the rewards of a musical education.

“Socially, emotionally and educationally, music is a great vehicle for acquiring skills in a really fun setting,” she said. “Kids should be exposed to and learn to respect all different kinds of music, from rock to jazz to classical or band—whatever interests them so they can learn the joy of making music and playing with other people.”

Brain Bridges

Paul Welcomer agrees, and he ought to know.  As a professional trombonist with the San Francisco Symphony, he has spent many years making music among musicians, whom he describes as generally creative, open-minded and willing to experiment.

"Neurologically," he said, "if you've learned to read and play music before the age of 12, research shows your brain will benefit from bundles of connectors that grow to link the two hemispheres, producing a greater capacity to communicate back and forth."

When he can, this musician, who moves in the nation’s top orchestral circles, stops by Stanley to coach kids on the finer points of the trombone or the conceptual qualities of a band.

“Stanley's program is exceptional on a national level,” he said. “Before our children get there, we want to support its strengths.  The students at Stanley are great. They're still allowed to be kids and have that excitement. But they work hard with each other through a common goal—to put out a high-level musical product.”