A family that plays together

Their mother started teaching them music when they were infants.
By JOHN PATRICK GATTA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Patricia Howard developed a passion for music through the example set by two generations of her family. Her grandfather played the accordion. Her father played violin, mandolin and guitar and wrote songs. Even her cousins played instruments.
Understandably, she wanted to share the joy of music with her five children. Her aim was to expand their intellectual scope. Instead, they blossomed beyond her expectations.
"I did it so they would have a hobby," she said. "I started teaching them, actually, when they came home from the hospital. I started teaching them the piano.
"So, I had them grow up with music, but it wasn't with the idea that they would become professional at it. That just happened."
She followed piano lessons with violin studies, all before the Howard offspring stepped into their first school classroom.
'Loved it'
"They loved it. When they were in middle school and high school, instead of going out to play ball or something, they formed a little rock group," she said.
A Steubenville resident for nearly all her life, Howard taught in the city's school system. She gives private lessons and helps with the Steubenville student orchestra program.
Howard still plays the viola professionally. She joins her sons Jason, 30, on cello, Ethan, 32, on violin, Jeremy, 28, on viola and daughter Esther, 25, on violin in the Greenville Symphony Orchestra (GSO).
Micah, 33, plays bass with the Pittsburgh Symphony and is an adjunct faculty member at Youngstown State University's Dana School of Music. He's been rehearsing for a bass/piano duo concert on Monday at YSU's Bliss Recital Hall.
The entire family will also appear in a concert April 21 as part of the Dana School of Music New Music Society's series of events.
One would be wrong to assume that Patricia's husband, Walter, is the odd man out since he doesn't play an instrument. She views him as the family MVP who supported all the musical activities in the house.
"That was my husband driving everyone everywhere. He did a lot of that. If it wasn't for his support this could not have happened either. He financially supported it and used his time also," said Patricia.
Visits to Pittsburgh
The trips included numerous visits to Pittsburgh, where Micah and Ethan were part of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Jason, Jeremy and Esther played in the Three Rivers Orchestra.
As Micah explained, "The whole reason I play the bass is because my dad brought a bass home when I was 12 years old. He thought he'd learn it. I was watching him practice and decided I wanted to learn, and he gave up on it."
Walter does sing with the other Howards when they play at weddings and other public functions.
The dedication towards practicing and performing throughout much of their lives has resulted in scholastic and career achievements for the Howards. All of the children acquired degrees from YSU. Jason is working on his doctorate at KSU. Micah received a master's degree from Duquesne University.
Ethan oversees the orchestra program for Steubenville's grades four through 12 and serves as concert master in the Ashtabula Area Orchestra and Greenville Symphony. GSO gave the world premiere performance of Jason's composition "Short No. 1, Fanfare and Waltzes" as part of its 75th anniversary activities last November. He also teaches at Kent State University. Jeremy teaches at Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy in Wheeling, while Esther teaches within the Steubenville school system and gives private lessons.
Starting early helps
Micah not only approves of his mother's method of musical lessons at an early age, he encourages others to do the same.
"If you want to start your child on a string instrument, the earlier the better, because they're able to grow with the instrument," said Micah. "It is physically difficult, especially with the violin. You have to turn your hand in such a way, your left hand in an awkward position.
"And with all the string instruments, holding the bow is not a natural feeling, so the longer you're with the instrument and the earlier you start, the more natural it feels to you."
He compared the need to be "on top of your game" within the music world to the competitiveness of professional sports. Because of that, music became a primary focus in his life even back in grade school.
"I just thought for a very long time that I was going to be a musician. I just never thought of another career. That's because my mom was a musician and [my parents] made music such an important part of our lives, I just didn't see another direction," said Micah.
"There's a great beauty in music," Patricia said, "and I thought it was my obligation to pass that on to my children."