Only in York County

I shared a bunch of York County musical memories last week, and this week, I have even more to share on topics from concert venues to music lessons.

You can thank reader Steve Kohler for the great images you see today; he shared several photos with me taken during the mid-1940s. “It could be a New Year’s Eve party or celebrating the end of World War II,” he noted. “The photos are taken in a bar/night club somewhere in York. The one photo does show the Spring Garden Band with a female vocalist, piano player, etc. It’s not in the Valencia.”

Steve noted that he sent the photos because he’s hoping someone reading can identify the location, and I am too!

Meanwhile, on another musical topic, we have talked in the past about the Gingerich music school, formerly in operation in York. A reader named Royce had asked about the exact location.

On that topic, fellow Yorkblogger Stephen H. Smith, of YorksPast, wrote, “I took trombone lessons from Clair Gingerich at Gingerich’s Music House at 361 West Market Street; so yes to Royce Campbell, it was in the building now home to the Blue Moon restaurant. I completed introductory training to the trombone at North Hills Elementary School and Wayne Guise recommended that I continue taking lessons at Gingerich’s; which I did from 1960 to 1964. As one walked into his music store, the counter was on the right and the practice rooms were in the back of the store.”

Another Gingerich memory came from Stephanie Kin of York. She also took lessons – in her case, flute – from Clair Gingerich, and confirmed the location as that now housing the Blue Moon. “My dad, Harry Little, was a very accomplished saxophone player from Dover High School,” she wrote. “He was trained by Mr. Gingerich, and I am sure that he was a gratifying student to have. As an elementary school student, I always wanted to take piano. By default, I ended up with the flute, which I did play through high school at Dover. I was also sent to Mr. Gingerich to be ‘trained.’ I would go to my lesson, squawk out a few notes and never practice in between. As I recall, Mr. G was a small man with sparse dark hair. At one point, he told me that I was a very nice girl, but the worst student that he ever had. I don’t recall how long after that I quit, but I think of that every time I drive by, or dine, at the Blue Moon. I often laugh out loud at the thought! I remember so vividly, sitting in that waiting area and then going back for my lesson.”

Ha, thanks for sharing that fun memory, Stephanie!

(Following up on some other music questions, about the names of some of the people who worked at the former Keyboard Studios, Trish McDowell commented, “The guitar teacher was Anthony Arcuri. The piano tuner’s last name was Mull. I actually had his son tune my piano in the mid-1990s. He is excellent!”) * Note: I originally misstated that Trish was talking about Gingerich’s, which was my mistake – she was referring to Keyboard Studios! I apologize for the mixup. *

Finally today, I heard from Nova Gingerich, the wife of the late Jack Gingerich, who passed away in 2012. Nova noted that she owns two posters advertising the Gingerich Senior Band appearing in concert on Sunday, January 13, sponsored by Salem Union Sunday School, with no year listed. “There is also a full black and white picture of band members and leader dressed in black and white uniforms,” she noted, which sounds very similar to the one below, which was shared by reader Royce Campbell.

Nova noted that she purchased the posters a number of years ago at a yard sale because she was married to a Gingerich, though at a family reunion, it seemed that Clair Gingerich was either unrelated or only distantly related! “My husband’s Gingerich family (grandfather John Gingerich) lived in York New Salem, and some descendants live in the area of New Salem, Spring Grove, Dallastown and York,” she noted.