Frank

"Rosie"

At the age of 10 little Frankie wanted to learn to play the trumpet like the great Harry James. He was given an instrument and took lessons for about one month. When little Frankie found out his instrument was in fact a cornet, and NOT a trumpet, disappointed, little Frankie dropped the instrument like a hot potato.

It wasn’t until 1952 in Chardon High School where he was in the music room playing the Second Hungarian Rhapsody on the Marimba that the band director asked him if he played any instruments. “No” was the reply. “Do you want to learn to play the French horn?” “ What’s a French horn?” “ If you want to give it a try, I’ll give you a horn to play and free lessons.” Two weeks later little Frankie was playing first horn in the Chardon High School Band.

After graduating HS in 1956 he went on to Ohio State to major in music. That only lasted one year. He got a summer job at General Motors in Cleveland, never went back to OSU, and his music career was over.

After years of playing in the Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Kalamazoo College bands, maybe one of them will offer him an honorary degree in music! He will play in any band or group that is desperate enough to ask him to play.

He joined the Ein Prosit German Band where he was introduced to the Alphorns of Karl Beck and Tracy Sonneborn. Shortly thereafter his new Alphorn “Rosie” was born.

Frank plays other instruments including: Harmonicas of all types including Bass, Chord, Harmonetta, Chromatic, Diatonic to mention a few; the Didgeridoo, an early instrument from Australia; Eb Alto horn that is used in the German Band.

Frank is  married to a wonderful woman without an ounce of musical talent - however, she is very supportive of all his music activities.  She has been affectionately designated, “The world’s oldest band groupie.”