A Boy and His Horn: The Personal Journal & Memoirs of

By Duane Howard

It would appear from the title of this book, “A Boy and His Horn,” to be a fictional novel if it wasn’t for the fact that his story is true, every word of it! There was a confirmed possibility that this “boy” and his horn would have never been born if it wasn’t for his dear mother’s new found Christian faith and her public conversion in 1933. Though much of this book is based on a historical journal and autobiography, it is Duane's strong conviction that God had a purpose for his life, as he believes He has for all of us, and feels compelled to share his story. Duane continues to feel blessed with God’s gracious gift and talent he discovered in his very early childhood. This God given gift has since become his lifelong passion. It has continued to nourish his spirit.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: May 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9781483496191

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HOWARD

Copyright © 2019 Duane Howard.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-9620-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-9619-1 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 04/08/2019

Foreword

Lifelong learning is not confined to childhood or the classroom but takes place throughout life and in a range of situations. Duane Howard is a life-long learner. Duane has never stopped improving and growing in his musical skills and in life in general. Duane played trumpet professionally for over 25 years and counting!

I came to know Duane when he attended the Evangelical Free Church of Chico, where I serve as Senior Pastor and play the trumpet in the church orchestra. Duane gave me trumpet lessons and we also played special music in a number of church services together. I have a similar passion for learning, improving, and communicating encouragement and inspiration through playing music on the trumpet. I am truly blessed to have Duane as my dear friend and as my trumpet mentor whom I greatly respect and still try to emulate, while finding my own unique voice as an instrumentalist.

This autobiography is an honest look at the trials and triumphs of a man on a journey of self-discovery and spiritual peace. You will relate to the lessons learned, lessons repeated, and the lessons applied. Lifelong learning is the ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge which Duane gives himself to and shares with us with hard-earned insights of valuable wisdom for our own personal spiritual growth.

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Dr. Lou Diaz

Senior Pastor

Evangelical Free Church of Chico

Chico, California

Dedicated to the memory

of my loving mother and father

Prologue

For many years now I have debated within myself to establish in writing, and also have chronicled, a personal journal of my own memoirs of A Boy and His Horn. To remember back as a young child, I recall having been encouraged to commit in writing a daily diary. Even in grammar school, many of my close classmates were encouraged to do the same, keeping a personal journal of all those special and most memorable events, otherwise so often lost and forgotten. I have often wondered what ever happened to that little brown padded booklet with words and thoughts, now left with only faded memories. Now in my eighties, and with a sense of urgency, I will, with what little literary ability or skills I have, attempt to capture as much in detail as I am able to remember of those events that are more directly focused on my life’s journey, having been blessed with a God given talent and gift of music from a very early age.

I am of the strong belief that the life that God has given us is composed of unexplained sensations. Days, weeks, months and years pass by, routine and quickly lost to memory, and then a moment comes that reminds you of who you are and why you are alive, and small details that normally go unseen in the random chaos of daily life suddenly take on deep visual and metaphorical meaning… the honest and personal reason and purpose of my attempt to capture those memories before my mind brain cells from old age are diminished and silenced by my own mortality.

The content of this compiled journal and self-documentary is composed mostly of my personal memoirs of God’s gracious and undeserving gift of music, of which I did not ask or seek from the journey of my early childhood and on through these limited years of life that are all destined to end, at least in this earthly human tabernacle.

My initial and honest purpose of sharing my story was not to write, publish and promote a book as it were, which may or may not have any common or public interest. My initial desire is to leave a legacy to the posterity of my family and friends who have lived and known me, and most specifically, for my musical abilities. This is a journey that I feel compelled to share and dedicate; especially to those closest to me, who understand my compulsive passion and desire to keep this talent alive as long as God gives me breath to play, together with a limited talent to vocalize as well in my younger years. As I have expressed so often: My love affair and spiritual connection with the trumpet has been my constant rendezvous of escape, and one might say, a self-imposed prescription of one’s own physic-therapy I have nurtured all these years, and of which I still prescribe as a daily routine of practice. Admittedly, and even somewhat embarrassingly, there seems to be no doubt, as I’ve come to realize and accept without hesitation is what I have is a self-imposed condition I impulsively live with and accept as incurable, which some commonly refer to as OCD, of which I have often been reminded.

As I reflect on God’s unquestioned mercy and grace, I’m often reminded of my close encounter with death, when in 2000, I was diagnosed with a serious heart condition of which I was unaware, but which resulted with open-heart, four way bi-pass surgery. I would question? Was I given a second chance and an extended lease on life? I have also pondered on things that might easily have happened to me somehow did not; things that were not likely to happen for me did.

This seemed like luck with a purpose. However, I’ve come to realize that luck, as often defined, is really not by chance. There is a famous quote I’ve never forgotten: The definition of luck: Luck is the residue of design; Cause and effect. To me now, makes perfect sense! As I’ve come to realize and accept that God has truly created us all for a purpose that we must be willing to fulfill. I was under no illusion of having been singled out, chosen for some particular destiny. I do believe the gift and gifts God has given me are not entirely my own and will never be free to squander if I choose. Although I often feel unworthy, I accept His grace to be sufficient.

An aspiring young contestant on a TV episode of American Idol was once asked why he was so emotional and passionate about music, and his compulsive desire to sing. As he stood tearfully before the judges, this was his response: One of my closest friends asked me; if time and money and resources were an option, and if you took those out of the equation, what would you do? My answer would always be, music and my desire to sing. It’s a most complex thing. I have to sing. It’s where my joy comes from. It’s my life’s blood. It’s how I know that God blessed me with a talent and a gift I didn’t ask for, but with which I shall always feel accountable, and of which continues to energize my life.

I could not have expressed it more clearly, as my passion to play still gives me that same fulfilling joy after these many years since I first adventured and discovered that old discarded brass cornet in that dusty and dirty old and abandoned barn in Red Bluff, California in 1939 at the age of five. It will always remain a mysterious mystery to me how and why it was left there and later disappeared. But that simple gift of joy and pleasure from that horn was born, and has taken me on an uncharted journey through years of rewarded inspiration in the world of entertainment, but mostly, in the ministry of Gospel music, which is, and will always remain, next to God’s love, my enduring passion. So from this brief preface, the following is my story, chapter by chapter of a Boy and His Horn.

CHAPTER ONE

Mother, Church and Music

Summer 1934

I have often thought about the question, why was I born? It has taken me many years to piece together all of those early life experiences to come to the realization that along with the physical, there is a spiritual compass that has preserved, protected and directed my paths in life. I’ve come to realize that I really had nothing to do with how I got here, except the God I serve, did form me and gave me life. But again, I would ponder and ask. Why was I born and destined to become a part of God’s human creation?

If I am to believe there is a God, I must believe in His Word. And from scripture in Isaiah 44:2, God said I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born.

From the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren:

Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In Fact, he expected it. Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God. He thought of you first. It is not fate, nor chance, nor luck, nor coincidence that you are breathing at this very moment. You are alive because God wanted to create you! The Bible says, The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me."

God prescribed every single detail of your body. He deliberately chose your race, the color of your skin, your hair, and every other feature. He custom-made your body just the way he wanted it. He also determined the natural talents you would possess and the uniqueness of your personality. Because God made you for a reason, he also decided when you would be planned the days of your life in advance, choosing the exact time of your birth and death."

My mother, Edna Frances Hart, the second youngest of fourteen children, was born November 8, 1895 in Manton, California, or known then as Macon Springs in Tehama County. A farm life, as it was, was not what my mother endeared. In her early twenties she migrated to Southern California, and in 1914 met and married Charles Allen, an older upper-middle class gentlemen who traveled on business much of the time during their short marriage, but long enough for my mother to give birth to a son in 1916, Charles Burton Allen. It was almost ten years later, as a single mother, before my mother and my dad were destined to meet.

My father, Marron Crocket Howard, was born in Wolf City, Texas, December 27, 1897, and in his early twenties also migrated his way to Southern California and the beach cities of Venice and Santa Monica where he met my mother at a social event in that popular beach community. My mother, from what I was told, fell head over heels for this dashing, young, handsome, dark haired and available gentleman. He always introduced himself as Blackie as he loathed his given name, Marron Crockett,