John Henry Hammond: Difference between revisions

In 1925 Hammond graduated from elementary institution [[St. Bernard's School]] at the age of 14. He persuaded his family to allow him to attend [[Hotchkiss School]] due to its liberal curriculum. Hammond's love for music flourished. However, he felt limited within the confines of a boarding school. Hammond even succeeded in convincing the headmaster to allow him to go into the city every other weekend, a rare privilege, so that he could take lessons from Ronald Murat. However, the headmaster was not aware that outside of his formal lessons, he would sneak off to Harlem to hear the jazz music. During this time, he states that he heard the music of [[Bessie Smith]] at [[The Harlem Alhambra]], although this claim has been disputed by Smith's biographer.<ref name=Prial />

 

 

In the fall of 1929, Hammond entered [[Yale University]] as a member of the class of 1933, where he studied the violin and, later, [[viola]]. He felt a disconnect with his fellow students at Yale and saw himself as a man already well acquainted with the professional world. He made frequent trips into New York and wrote regularly for trade magazines. In the fall semester of 1930, Hammond had to withdraw due to a re-occurring case of [[jaundice]]. Hammond had no desire to a repeat a semester, which contributed to his dissatisfaction with the university lifestyle. Much to the disappointment of his father, a Yale alumnus, in 1931 he dropped out of school for a career in the music industry, first becoming the U.S. correspondent for ''[[Melody Maker]]''.<ref name=Prial />