Roper Remembers

The Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius, once said, "Musicians talk of nothing but money and jobs. Give me businessmen every time. They really are interested in music and art." My experience has been different.

Sibelius was not entirely wrong; he just made a statement that's more absolute than I have found the truth to be. Every so often in the music world, one runs into a deep-thinking artist. I think of my friend, William Roper, as one of those.

William Roper

Roper (he much prefers 'Roper' over William or Bill) is a composer and tubist in the Los Angeles area. At least, those are two sides of the man. He's also a chef and a painter. Visit his website HERE.

I have worked with Roper many times. Currently, he's a regular member of my brass quintet, and his participation is always valued, both for his musicianship and for his various perspectives on things, including music and life. He has the wry and dry sense of humor often found in deep thinkers. This comes out in his compositions, of course. His musical aesthetic and mine differ a good bit, but I enjoy his music very much and find it interesting and thought-provoking. I think the latter point might please him most. He'll let me know. When there's time, we'll talk about it. In fact, I always enjoy talking to Roper, because he's just so interesting. He says he likes my music, too, which – coming from an artist and thinker like him – means a lot.

I blog about Roper because he's the latest subject in a series of short documentaries by Los Angeles filmmaker Joe Santarromana. You can find some of Santarromana's work HERE at Vimeo. The video about Roper is the fourth in a series entitled, "The Rememberers." It runs about 17 minutes, and I think it's very well done. He shares important observations on his life, cooking, composing, and racism. It interests me, of course, since it reveals much about a colleague. I think you'll be interested, too, because Roper is a fascinating person.

My favorite element of the video is his paintings. Roper doesn't talk about painting much, but I think his paintings are terrific. I think he should paint more. For me, his visual art has that blend of ideas and craftsmanship that signifies greatness and enduring value. Or maybe I just like the colors.

If you get the opportunity to talk with Roper – really talk, not just meet-and-greet or chat – do it. He's definitely interested deeply in music and art. I'm pretty sure Sibelius would have changed his tune (at least one of them), had he met Roper.