Charles DCamp Obituary, Death – When we learned that Charles DCamp had passed away, it came as a shock to us; his family is in our thoughts and prayers as they go through this difficult time.
The news of his passing came as a complete surprise to us. Chuck participated as a member of a significant number of other university committees in addition to the positions that he held at the institution, such as Director of Bands, Professor of Music and Music Education, Chair of the Fine Arts Division, and Chair of the Institution Faculty. He also held positions at the institution as Chair of the Institution’s Faculty. In addition to that, he served as the director of the bands that were housed within the establishment.
This morning, my grandfather Charles DCamp passed away peacefully in his sleep. He was a remarkable man who was in every sense of the word a formidable opponent. In the coming days, he will no doubt be honored with a great number of tributes and memorials; the following are merely some of my initial thoughts and ramblings in his honor. Many of the people who knew him best referred to him as “Chuck.” At the very least, sufficient time had passed for my children to start referring to him as Grandpa Chuck at some point. He had a long life filled with numerous achievements; he was a clarinetist, a band director, a professor, a dad, a grandpa, and so many other things. He passed away recently.
There is little doubt that one of his legacies is the musical family that has developed around him. A handful of his six kids went on to major in music in college, and all of them are wonderful musicians in their own right. This is just one example of his legacy. Oh yeah, and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren are also killing it in their respective fields as well. This culture that we have inside the DCamp family must have been influenced, in some way, by the establishment of the DCamp Family Band and its ongoing get-togethers.
In all seriousness, the question that really needs to be asked is not “will you play an instrument?” but rather “what instrument will you play?” Additionally, depending on whether parts of the game could benefit from an additional participant, there may be some coercion involved.
When I was in high school, I truly thought I was somebody on the trombone, and that time is where some of my most memorable memories with him took place. Wishes to one day play the trombone professionally in a renowned Symphony Orchestra somewhere in the world.
In the midst of all of those challenges, I was fortunate enough to have the chance to invite my grandpa to Buffalo High School to serve as a guest conductor for a solo piece called Morceau Symphonique. A once in a lifetime opportunity to deepen our connection with him while simultaneously showcasing both of our talents in tandem with one another. It was a good time, and the highlight of it was when I was presented with the John Philip Sousa award for that particular year. Which adheres to custom! Grandpa was a significant factor in shaping who I am now. To the extent that this was the case, when I initially began writing music, I would typically identify myself as J. Charles DCamp in my work. These days, I usually save that for pieces particularly written for wind ensembles.