Thu 2 Sep 2004
I received this via e-mail and figured the readers of this blog would make an excellent resource to answer the questions within:
Eric,
I’m not now nor have a been a student at Williams. I’m trying to
locate my ancestors. Some interesting finds have brought me to
Williams and a few more clicks have brought me to your site. One of
your goals is to perserve history, so I’m taking a shot.One of my ancestors was/is: Robert G. Barrow, born in 1911. It is
said he was a musical prodigy. When I do a google search - I find a
reference to a Robert G. Barrow Memorial Prize in composition from
Williams. I’m not sure if this is the correct “Williams”.Do your college records go back that far, that he might have been
either a student or possilbly an instructor? Would you have any
suggestions on who I might talk to?Thank you for your time.
Susan Spaulding
sspaulding@cox.net
I suggested e-mailing “someone” in the alumni office, but I don’t know anyone specifically to contact.
If you have additional ideas and/or contacts, please post them up here and help Susan out.
September 2nd, 2004 at 2:03 pm
Looks to be for a music professor:
Another hit by searching the College’s web pages is a remembrance by Hodge Markgraf ‘52.
I would say that Susan should start by e-mailing Hodge.
September 2nd, 2004 at 4:30 pm
I would suggest e-mailing Sylvia Brown (Sylvia.Kennick.Brown@williams.edu), who is the college archivist. The archives are a great, underutilized resource. Virutally anything that has ever been published by an Eph or about a Williams affiliated person is located there and the archivists are very helpful (if you’re nice they’ll do most of the research for you).
September 2nd, 2004 at 5:11 pm
She might also look up Warren Hunke ‘42, Director of the Williams Octet Alumni, who lives in Williamstown (he’s in the phone book). He knew Prof. Barrow and has spoken of him in conversations I have had with him in the past. Warren is a living trove of knowledge on these sorts of things, especially if they relate to things musical.
September 3rd, 2004 at 9:40 am
I’d second Zach’s suggestion (hi Zach!) to contact the Archivist. This is exactly what the archives are for and I’m sure Ms. Brown will be extremely helpful.
November 28th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I studied Theory & Composition with Bob Barrow, initially two semesters of Harmony and then two semesters of Advanced Harmony. Six weeks into the second semester of my junior year, I found myself in the distressful academic dilemma of being so bored with the vapid discipline(?) of cultural anthrophology that I was facing the worst grade of my transcript and the biggest waste of time in college. So I went to see that irascible curmudgeon (Is that from the Department of Redundacy Department?) and asked him (a con) to let me join the Counterpoint class typically reserved for music majors in theory & composition. I was an economics major, and worse a jazz and roots musician. So our deal was that every week I was to complete current assignments and at least one week of back assignments. In specie counterpoint, it’s one foot in front of the other, and I don’t recall a more time- and energy-consuming effort in my academic career. I did the work acceptably, and he invited me join three other students for the Honors Theory & Composition course. After graduation, I got a job at New England Merchants National Bank in Boston. A couple of years after graduation, I bumped into Prof. Barrow at the Co-op, and mentioned that I had just completed an art song for no particular reason, assignment or commission. He expressed delight that I was still writing since I was creative, to which I replied with consternation that I always thought he dismissed me as a barefoot hack in an upscale parlor. “Hey, I was supposed to instruct you in craft. Creativity was never part of the curriculum,” he rejoined. Two and a half years of Boston banking sent me back to Texas and I landed in Austin to become Business Manager of Armadillo World Headquarters as well as a fixture in the music scene as player, engineer, producer and promoter. None of that would have happened without Bob Barrow. My composing consists of songwriting largely influenced by Tin Pan Alley, jazz and folk blues. But there has been no greater presence in my music than Robert G. Barrow, the old coot.