Remembering Walter Chesnut
Walter Chesnut was a member of the music faculty of the University of Massachusetts Amherst since 1967. Professor emeritus, he has taught many students who have gone on to be professional performers and music educators. He remains a beloved figure on campus, thanks in part to his long service as University Herald at commencements and other important ceremonies.
A graduate of the University of Michigan, Chesnut was an accomplished performer on brass instruments, an expert in their history and literature, and a gifted singer. He has a loyal following among his former students and countless others who relished his and his ensembles’ performances on a variety of modern and historical instruments.
In 1993 a spinal condition left Chesnut unable to walk or perform. He regained his mobility and musical mastery only by way of the most arduous and protracted effort. In so doing he became an inspiration for all of those who face physical challenges. This experience was captured in the 1994 documentary film "Building Power & Class."
Chesnut performed with many orchestras, including the Springfield Symphony, with which he had been principal trumpet. In 1978, he performed a trumpet solo with the Boston Pops, under the direction of Arthur Fiedler. Chesnut was named as one of the Outstanding Educators of America in 1973 and has received this campus’s Chancellor’s Medal and Distinguished Teaching Award. UMass Amherst bestowed an honorary doctor of Fine Arts degree on Chesnut in 2004.
"Mr. C," as Chesnut was affectionately known to his students, is missed especially by alumni of the Minuteman Band, for whom he was a tremendous inspiration and beloved mentor.
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Alumni share their remembrances:
I had the occasion one spring semester to be auditioning for Concert Band. I was very nervous when I found out I would be playing in front of Professor Chestnut...(I mean that's like Sanjaya [from American Idol] auditioning in front of Pavarotti !!) I made it through the audition piece and the sight-reading piece. Mr. Chestnut said "Good job, you missed that A-flat, though" . I walked out on a cloud... "good job" from likes of Walter Chestnut !!! I also remember just what a great, great, friend and supporter he was of the Marching Band. He was a honorary bando if ever there was one.
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One summer during DMA when he was back at UMass in his old office, my cell phone rang. He wanted to know if I wanted to play duets with him the next morning. I thought “the man can barely move his fingers—I’ve got a chance to finally not only keep up, but even be GOOD!” So I said sure. Fool that I was, Walter ALWAYS had a hidden card up his sleeve. We played duets alright: baroque trumpet duets pitched in C and F----all he needed was one moving finger!!! He played circles around me and after about 20 minutes of me struggling with matching his ornamentation he leaned over and actually said, “Can’t keep up with an old man who’s only got one working finger, huh?”
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I auditioned for Mr. Chesnut in September of 1974. I was accepted to the University, but at the last minute decided to be a music major. Mr. Chesnut had no problem with that; he auditioned me in the trailor behind Thompson. Not only did he accept me, he took a personal interest in me both as a musician and as a person. His schedule was full, and the only time left in his schedule was at 6:00 in the morning.
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I remember, as a student, watching his "History of the Trumpet"
lecture and just being completely amazed at what I saw and heard. And
all coming from Mr. C., this joyful and beaming master teacher. It was
in just such a session that I realized how much I truly loved Music,
no matter what form or shape or sound it took. And I realized that I
wanted to share that love of music with others.
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I've had many wonderful teachers in my life. Some have inspired me. Some have listened to me. Some have challenged me and some have supported me. Walter did all of this and more, filling the role of the parent that I needed so much. Some of us came to college, confident and ready for the challenge. I was not one of these people. Luckily for me, he never gave up on any of us. I took private trumpet lessons with Walter for 4 1/2 years, but I was not skilled when I first came to the university. My technique and sight-reading were so bad that if one more trumpet player had auditioned that spring, I would not have been a trumpet major. Yet, he worked with me--so hard sometimes, I thought I would break. He believed in me so much, that within four semesters, I accomplished something that I never thought possible: section-leader of Symphony Band
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And if you ever tried to fake your way through a lesson, he would stop you about five minutes in, turn to you as he reached up with his chubby sausage fingers to his glasses. He would slide them down to the end of his rosy nose, and look at you with those crystal blue eyes and ask, "Michael... did you practice this week?" Knowing full well what the answer would be. And we all would mumble out some lame excuse, half-heartedly, trying our best to sound sincere and pathetic. But it was like trying to lie to Santa Claus. He knows if you've been bad or good, so PRACTICE for goodness sake!
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I can't say that I interacted a LOT with Walter Chesnut when I was at UMass - my memories of him are not as vivid as those that have been shared on this list. I know my mother credits him, at least partially, for my interest in music - when she was pregnant with me, she took a music appreciation class which he taught through the continuing ed program. She likes to think that his influence rubbed off on me somehow, and she was just tickled that I had the chance to take trumpet tech from him some twenty years later.
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His lessons transcend mere scales and arpeggios. He taught us to be true to ourselves, to live with passion, to give more than anyone else expects of you, to be your best even if your best is not the best, and to be better today than you were yesterday. His message is timeless.