John Adams High School - Clipper Yearbook (Ozone Park, NY)

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MUSIC IS one of the oldest arts known to man. It has come down through the ages, being made more beautiful and inspiring with each passing generation. Great masters have given it beauty, tone. harmony. pathos. fire and solemnity. Such a master was Richard Strauss whose life story, you shall now read. He never had any long hair and his clothes never looked as if they had been walked on. on the contrary, he was trim and neat. Richard Strauss' father, Franz Strauss. was a horn-player. He mar- ried a famous brewer's daughter, and on Iune 11. 1864. Richard was born. Franz Strauss had a strong dislike for all Wagnerian Music. It was so new and daring that Wagner became known as Richard the First. Rich- ard Strauss. though he inherited his father's hate for Wagner's music, lat- er changed and grew to love it. He did so much for Wagnerian Music. and followed so many of his'ideas that he was later nicknamed Richard the Second. I-ls Richard grew up, his whole en- vironment was music. He was taught by his mother to play piano. and at the age of five he had regular les- sons from a professional teacher. The next year he went to school and start- ed to play the violin. He began to compose at the early age of eleven and was taking lessons on the technique of composition. several years later. He flattered his father by writing a Hom Concerto which was so difficult that his father practiced it only at home. He also composed a Serenade, written in his early teens. which was so enthusiastically received by Biilon. that the conductor invited him to write Pit 'n Podium JOAN SCANLON a suite and to become his assistant conductor. He was also to lead the orchestra when he played his new works. It was from that time on that Rich- and Strauss soared to fame and glory. Before he was twenty. he had com- posed over one hundred works. While visiting in a summer resort. he met a singer named Pauline de Ahno. Strauss coached her and she sang in an opera under his direction. Several years later they were married. Strauss' music will never die. for such works as Der Rosenkavalier and Till Eulenspiege1 have been scratched on the stone of immortality. and will be remembered by music lov- ers throughout the world. gf! 2 ff e X I f ff I gyffx' ' 'YM 3246? xX'C lt, X. , Nlftx' I I W If Illustration by Alma Kelly 19

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DEAR GCD MARION ALLWEISS I iust thought I'd talk to you for a while before I go to bed. I'm not a bit sleepy, but Mom and Pop were so sad and miserable that I thought maybe You'd keep me company. You know, Father Iohnson says we should get to know You better. He says You watch us all day long and know everything we do. Well. I hope You were watching today when I helped old Mrs. Murphy across the street. I think she knew You were there, 'cause she patted me on the head and said, God Bless you, little man. She's a nice lady, and I really didn't mean it when I walked on her lawn last week. If You say that too, I hope You weren't too angry. The bed seems so empty. Dear God. I wish Ronny would hurry up and come to bed. Were You ever a twin? It's lots of fun, You know. I like to play with Ronny, and even when we iight we know we don't really mean it. Momma says You can see everything, Dear God. Can You see Ronny? I haven't seen him in the longest time, and I wish he'd hurry 'cause I'm getting sleepy. Momma started to cry when I asked her where he was. Daddy told me that he's gone away and that I should go to bed. Please send him home if You can see him, huh? Are You still there, Dear God? Y'know, I've been thinking. It's awful 18 dark and quiet in here and it seems as it Ronny will never come back. I iust had the most awful idea. Sup- pose he's dead! I wouldn't tell Momma and Poppa, of course, they might get all upset. But I know You're a good Man, and if he's living with You I know You'll take care of him. Come to think of it, he must be dead, 'cause he really did hurt himself when he fell off the stoop yesterday. They sent me to Aunt Eva's when the ambulance left, but I knew he hurt himself bad. But You must be a good doctor, Dear God, if so many very sick people go to You. Maybe it's better that Ronny is liv- ing with You: our teachers were al- ways getting us mixed up. Do they have nice schools in Heaven? Tell Ronny he should come ,down some night and tell me all about it. He doesn't have to take 'oil his wings eith- er, I'd like to see what an angel looks like. Boy, it must be nice to be able to ily all around. Maybe then I'd be able to ily off the garage roof without breaking my leg like I did last year. I hope You'll take good care of Ronny, and don't get too angry at him when he's naughty: he doesn't mean it. I don't think we should tell anyone about it yet, they wouldn't understand and it would make them cry. But, I understand and I know You'll be good to him. I think I'll go to sleep now, Dear God. I hope You have pleasant dreams, and wish Ronny good-night for me, please. P.S. I think You can tell Father Iohn- son. He would understand.

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STRANGE, how much different a room looked in darkness than in light. Hmm, too different, thought little Peter as he put out the light. He snuggled his head into the soft pillow cmd shut his eyes gladly. His covers lay at the foot of the bed where he had kicked them, after deciding it was too hot. But a distracted fly perched on his ear and buzzed and buzzed until he moved his 4 GLEANINGS hand around in hopes of scaring it away. He did, but only onto his nose. He opened his eyes and tried looking at his nose in order to get perfect aim. lust before he struck, the fly buzzed away. Peter kept his eyes open, try- ing to make out the tiny insect flying around the room. But as he looked toward the window, he saw a lean. gray Wolf whose eyes were steadily glaring at him. It ain't, it ain't, he assured himself as he quickly shut his eyes. Cautiously opening them again he tumed over and looked at the open closet door in his room. The sleeve of his Sunday suit was visible to him but no, it was the arm of a robber hiding in there waiting until he fell asleep so he could come out and take away the 53.93 he had saved for a cowboy suit. He turned again, this time on his back and stared at the ceiling. There he saw a hole and piercing the dark- ness, two enormous eyes and a huge 20 body. Oh, he knew it. A great gorilla and it was probably very hungry. He shut his eyes tightly and crawled down and got his covers and pulled them over his head. Boy, he whispered to himself, it certainly is cold. RITA REINHEIMER THE SHORT distance from the cheer- leaders bench to position on the foot- ball field or basketball court, seems endless to the new frightened cheer- leader. You are constantly aware of the critical eyes that seem to detect every flaw. Running out quickly and gracefully into position is not as easy as it had seemed from the stands. How- ever, after the first game is over, self- consciousness moves out and self-con- fidence moves in. You begin to con- centrate on cheering your team to vic- tory, and gradually forget about your- self. The position of captain is a coveted one. The responsibility however, is an entirely different matter. Practice time is not provided in school except for one or two periods a week, which is far from sufficient. Meetings must be called evenings or, whenever possible, after school. Cheering is not all fun. It is tire- some and hard on the muscles. Never- theless, you realize that hard work and cooperation are necessary to keep Adams cheerleaders a squad of which you are proud to be a member. MARGARET BRYANT