A staggering 5 to 15 percent of Americans—14.5 to 43.5 million children and adults—have dyslexia, a learning disability that makes it difficult to read, write, and spell, no matter how hard the person tries or how intelligent he or she is. Dyslexia is not tied to IQ - Einstein was dyslexic and had an estimated IQ of 160. Over 50% of NASA employees are dyslexic. People with dyslexia excel or even gifted in areas of art, computer science, design, drama, electronics, math, mechanics, music, physics, sales and sports. David Krehbiel is one of those who excel and is gifted in music while suffering from dyslexia. Krehbiel is a world renowned horn player who has played for the San Francisco, Detroit, and Chicago Symphony Orchestras. Krehbiel crossed the paths of many of the great talents of the twentieth century including Fritz Reiner and Arthur Fiedler. All the time he was battling and trying to hide his dyslexia. He has recounted this and offers tips for others on how to deal with dyslexia in the newly released book, Through The Door: A Horn-Player's Journey.
You can learn more in this interview.
Q: Tell us about the book.
A: Through the Door relates my adventures as a young, dyslexic musician, who used my musical talent to cover up my many scholastic shortcomings. In so doing, a door opened for me, and I found myself in the career of my dreams, playing principal horn for the Chicago, Detroit, and San Francisco symphony orchestras. However, survival in my new career meant learning how to face the incessant intimidation by my first famous maestro, Fritz Reiner of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and learning how to control a performance anxiety so crippling that I almost wished to be in a traffic accident rather than face that evening’s performance at Symphony Hall.
The book shares stories about the ways in which I gained confidence and learned to manage my fears while performing. One of these ways was a meditation system I created called Creative Not Caring. The book also reveals stories of some of the many pranks for which I was known and of the joys and challenges I had performing my favorite orchestral works with famous conductors such as Arthur Fiedler, Seiji Ozawa, Herbert Blomstedt, and Michael Tilson Thomas. One of my favorite stories is of performing principal horn with composer Paul Hindemith, who was guest conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and of the memorable bond that developed with him.
Q: Why did you write this book?
A: I wanted to share things I had learned about myself during forty years of performance in major symphony orchestras. The book started as a lecture about how to play the horn more easily and efficiently. I soon realized that what I was saying in that lecture was really a part of something much larger. It was about being open to possibilities. I wanted to inspire people to have the courage to go through whatever doors the universe opened to them and to be willing to learn whatever lessons there are to be learned when you go through the door. It took a book to say that.
Q: You had a fabled career as a horn player, what are your most memorable experiences?
A: I had a lot of very memorable times playing practical jokes on my conductors and creating humorous situations onstage during rehearsals. These moments brought some lightness into a very intense working environment. Aside from my jokes, touring New York and playing concerts at Carnegie Hall with the orchestras were favorite times in my career. I was awestruck when at age 21, shortly after I had been hired, I played in Carnegie Hall for the first time with Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
But being invited to play a farewell solo concert before my retirement as principal horn with San Francisco Symphony tops everything. I felt honored. For my solo, I chose to play the Mozart Horn Concerto No. 2. Michael Tilson Thomas conducted, and I played all four concerts of the last season series. Before the first of the concerts, 40 or 50 players from the area showed up in front of the concert hall to serenade me in honor of my retirement and 40 years of playing, 25 of which were with San Francisco Symphony.
Q: Do you miss playing with the orchestra?
A: Yes, I do. As I said, I had played with San Francisco for 25 years when I retired, and there is no thrill like being in the middle of a large group performing wonderful music together, and where everybody is of one mind and on the same page with things coming together beautifully. But I moved on to another life, back to my hometown, which is 200 miles away from San Francisco. I began a whole new life as a builder and a farmer, and that has kept me very busy. After 40 years of performing there’s not much more you can experience that’s new. I think it’s a good thing I got out before playing those wonderful old pieces got tiring.
Q: What advice would you give someone looking at a musical career?
A: Don’t go into a musical career for anything other than the love of music.
Q: Is there anything you left out of the book that you now wish you had included?
A: Yes, I am starting a second book about my spiritual journey through life and was wishing I could have written more about that. But that may not have been appropriate for a book about horn playing.
Q: Did you hide your dyslexia your entire career?
A: Yes, I pretty much kept it hidden until I wrote the book. I always had to have my wife spell for me. Writing letters before spell check was always a problem. Even reading music was difficult. Because of my dyslexia, I was slower than most players in learning the notes. However, I worked at it until I learned them. Then the music itself came naturally to me, and my focus in performing was always on communicating the feeling behind the notes. One time, someone made a comment to me after a performance about what a great horn player I was. “You never missed any notes,” she said, meaning to compliment me. But, for me, that was a wakeup call. I’d much rather leave an impression of emotion than perfection in a performance. So I vowed to take more chances and use some Creative Not Caring.
Q: How did people react when they learned you had dyslexia?
A: I think most people were surprised after reading the book. I hid it well. But, what’s to hide at age 84?
Q: What are some of the common ways people try to hide dyslexia?
A: With dyslexia, you learn to compensate. I could never remember the multiplication tables, so I used my own form of “new math” so that I could calculate them quickly when needed.
Q: Why is it important to reduce the stigma around dyslexia?
A: When I was in school no one knew there was such a thing as dyslexia. But it was a real issue for me. Why was school was so difficult for me and yet so easy for the other kids. My dyslexia involved memory for numbers and words. I tried to learn a foreign language but found it impossible. My mother tried to teach me to play the piano, but I had a problem reading all those notes and playing them all at the same time. I had three sisters who learned to play the piano beautifully. I just assumed I wasn’t smart enough. Dyslexia can be devastating to a child’s self-esteem. Fortunately for me, there was music, and I found the horn. I had great emotional feeling for music and no problem with music memory. Also, with the horn it was only one note at a time. It’s important for children to know that being dyslexic doesn’t mean they are not smart or capable.
Q: What advice do you have for kids and teens who have dyslexia?
A: Because you have trouble doing one thing doesn’t mean you won’t be very good at something else, so don’t worry about the things that are difficult for you. Find areas that interest you and focus on those. You may find that you excel in those areas.
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