Last Fall, Dan Fiorentino, Music Historian for NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants), came to Ellis Piano to interview owner/president David Ellis about the history of our business. Upon meeting me and spotting my music by the counter, he immediately took an interest and asked if I would be willing to allow him to do a video interview of me about how I got started composing, and also how I came to work at Ellis Piano.
“No way!” I said. “I would be too scared to talk in front of a camera, especially not knowing exactly what questions you will ask.”
Dan would not take no for an answer, and the boss, David Ellis, took his side and insisted that I do the interview. I knew I was defeated and reluctantly gave in.
Why was I clutching a stuffed pumpkin? For comfort! Dan’s nice camera lady spotted the very pretty cushion designed like a pumpkin that we had displayed in the center of our check-out counter, grabbed it and put it in my hands. “No one will ever know you are holding it,” she said. “It won’t be seen in the video.”
Securely holding the colorful pumpkin in my lap, I pressed on, fearfully making it through the interview. When all was said and done, I was very pleased with how the video turned out and realized what an honor it was to have the music historian for NAMM take such a personal interest in my humble compositional career.
So thanks, Dan Fiorentino, for recognizing my work and pushing me to do the interview. Because of you, I guess I can say that I have gone down in history . . . NAMM history, that is!
Enjoy the video! https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/loretta-pritchard
Appendage: “The Squeaky-Squawky Carousel” has since been taken off the Federation list for 2024 - 2028. I can’t complain because the piece had been included in the bulletin for 20 years straight. That’s not a bad record! Also, the piece was written in the summer of 1995, not 1996. Finally, I was born in Alexander City, AL, but actually grew up in Dadeville, AL.
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