The Father Dennis, a University Professor

Most boys like to play sports with their friends after school. As a young boy, Dennis learned how to play basketball, American football, Chinese football (Soccer), and softball (American basketball for children). At school, he was also asked if he would like to play in the band. Soon, music became more important to him than sports. He could also sing, so he joined the high school choir and there he saw for the first time a piano player he could not forget. Her name was Janet.

　　She invited him to her house to play table tennis and the two of them became friends. They didn't know it then, but many years later, their friendship would become very strong and they would marry.

　　When an American football game was played, the high school band always performed. The football players would take a rest at the half or mid-point of the game. The concert band would come onto the football field, marching and playing music. They would make different forms on the field. They always made a large alphabet letter at the end of this half time show. It was the capital letter that stood for the name of their high school. For Dennis, it was the letter R for Rogers High School.

　　In college, he studied music education because he wanted to become a university music professor. After college he went to a large university of 30,000 students near Chicago. It was called Indiana University. He received a Master's degree and a Ph.D. or doctor's degree in the philosophy of music. Now he could be a university professor.

　　He decided that he would like to be the conductor of the band. He also started a city orchestra where both university students and adults from the city could play.

　　He conducts film music such as Walt Disney's Lion King with the band. With the orchestra he directs the operas of Mozart such as the Magic Flute or the symphonies of Beethoven. This music he directs is similar to China's beautiful orchestra music about the legend of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai who became butterflies after dying together. In both China and the United States, he enjoys the music of the band and the orchestra.

　　Words and Phrases

　　softball n.壘球

　　choir n.郃唱隊，歌唱隊

　　fall n.（美）鞦季

　　capital a.首要的，主要的

　　a capital letter大寫字母

　　philosophy n.哲學

　　adult n.成年人

　　opera n.歌劇

　　Magic Flute 魔笛

　　symphony n.交響樂

　　legend n.傳說；傳奇

　　butterfly n.蝴蝶