Obituary: Matthew A. 'Matty' Shiner / Trombonist & Edwin P. Shiner, both musical mentors to many at Duquesne

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

Wednesday, January 15, 2003

By John Hayes, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

In America and Europe, a corps of working musicians, high-school music teachers and college professors pass along knowledge acquired from Matthew A. "Matty" Shiner, a nationally recognized trombonist and brass teacher from Duquesne University.

For 46 years, Mr. Shiner, who died of natural causes Sunday at his home in Forest Hills at the age of 89, was a professor of music at Duquesne. During much of that time, he served as head of the school's brass department. He retired from full-time teaching in 1989, but in recent years taught Saturdays as a professor emeritus and offered private lessons to several students at McKeesport's Progressive Music Inc.

Included in Mr. Shiner's legacy is a scholarship fund that he established years ago at Duquesne to commemorate the contributions of his late brother, Edwin P. Shiner, who also taught at the university.

As a performer, Mr. Shiner held the Stanley Theater's lead trombone seat for 14 years, played with the staff orchestra at KDKA radio and spent 14 seasons with Pittsburgh CLO.

"Matty Shiner was an inspiration for some of the finest brass players that were ever educated in Pittsburgh," said Edward Kocker, dean of the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University.

"Many of his former students today occupy leadership roles in symphony orchestras, Hollywood studios, university music departments and, perhaps most importantly, public school music classes in Western Pennsylvania and beyond. I'm a trombonist, and I learned about Duquesne University because of Matty Shiner's legendary status as one of the most beloved trombone teachers."

Mr. Shiner continued to teach and inspire his students years after they graduated.

"He was my teacher for 41 years," said Bill Holste, a retired Penn Hills High School band director who now works for the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association. Holste studied formally under Mr. Shiner as a Duquesne undergraduate and master's student.

"He was from the old school," he said. "His favorite quote was, 'You gotta crawl before you walk and walk before you run.' He was a back-to-the-basics kind of teacher."

Carl Iezzi, a former Duquesne student, Mr. Shiner's assistant from 1968 to 1972, and a music teacher with Pittsburgh Public Schools for 35 years, remembers him as a role model.

"He not only taught, he was a model for what he taught," he said. "He was a dignified and mannerly individual. He really lived what he taught and was dedicated to all of his students in an extraordinary way. His students wanted to emulate the values he represented."

Mr. Shiner was preceded in death by his wife, LaVerne Maguire Shiner. He is survived by his daughter, Sylvia Shiner, and her husband, Robert Bock, of Forest Hills.

Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today and tomorrow in John L. Quinlan Funeral Home in Turtle Creek. Burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday in Good Shepherd Cemetery in Monroeville.

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

I studied privately with Matty from 1953--1958. He really showed me around the trombone but unfortunately I never heard him play a single note.  The AF of M musicians union was segregated then so although some of my contemporaries who studied with Matty had the opportunity to play some shows with him, I did not.  Matty did arrange a full scholarship for me to enter Duquesne University's Music School in 1959, however, when I learned that if they caught you playing jazz, they would throw you out of school, I chose to enter the pre-med program at Pitt.  Music schools did not consider jazz to be legitimate music in those days.  I had already completed the classical trombone studies with Matty before I graduated from high school.

Today's students should know that jazz was not only not taught in the school systems but it was totally disrespected by the same schools that are trying to claim to be its source today.  We learned jazz in the community from the masters who created the music.

[Lisa White]

Dr. Nelson Harrison,Thank you for your time and your help but I'm looking for Edwin P. Shiner's obituary,brother of Matti. They both taught at Duquesne U, I miss placed mine which is very important to me.I've known family for 35 years.   thanks again and my Email is  [e-mail]

[Lisa White]

I remember being at Edwin"s house and Doc Severson,not sure if I spelled that correctly,would call to B S to Mr. Shiner because he end Matti taught member's of the house band of the Tonight Show. Doc, you would know me to see me by the way.Not going to bother you anymore,your a busy guy. again and again,thanks for your help and time. Sincerely, Lisa White

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

This is no bother at all Lisa.  This is what this network is all about.  I heard stories about Doc Severinsen and Eddie Shiner from Lorry Yednak many times.  I have asked Lorry to get the obit-bio from Sylvia.  Lorry and Sylvia are co-owners of Progressive Music.

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

Thanks to Dr. Kenan Foley for finding the Edwin P. Shiner obit.

http://www.geocities.ws/dallerr/shiner/index.html

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

~ As delivered by David McCollum ~

---

We have all lost a dear friend.

Matty was a devoted teacher and a tremendous musician,
but most of all, he was a friend and an example to all of us.

He touched all our lives in a very special way.

Matty lived his everyday life with a rare humility and grace.

Matty’s skills as a teacher are legendary.

He was a master teacher who gave all of his students
a most solid foundation, but his most important lessons went way beyond
teaching us the skills necessary to play and teach music.

By his example, he redefined on a higher level the words,
dedication and commitment.

He helped us to develop and nurture an attitude that would bring success,
no matter what we were trying to accomplish.

Matty’s teaching schedule at Duquesne University was
busy enough to fill three full time positions.

You could find him at Duquesne seven days a week.
Twelve hour days were the norm.
But he would always find extra time for his students.

He was willing, even anxious to give up any free time he had.

Matty always encouraged the extra effort.

He would often get the Trombone section of the
Duquesne University Orchestra together and rehearse us.

I remember one such rehearsal that was scheduled
during a time that was reserved for faculty meetings.

Matty, not one to go back on his commitment,
came to us with a plan.

Just after said faculty meeting began, one of us,
who shall remain nameless, interrupted the meeting with word
that while practicing in Matty’s office he had intercepted
a long distance phone call from California.

Matty promptly excused himself from the meeting,
came downstairs to the recital hall and coached us.

This was not one of his assigned duties.

Matty was devoted and dedicated to his students.

He lead by example.

Matty always gave his best effort and demanded the same from us.

I remember feeling very ill one evening.
I had a bad case of the flu with all the trimmings.

My roommate tried to explain to Matty that I could not come
to rehearsal because I was very ill.
At which point Matty promptly called me on the phone.

The conversation went something like this:

"McCollum - can you spit?" he said
"Excuse me Mr Shiner" I said,
not fully understanding the question.
"Can you spit", he repeated
"yes" I replied, still not understanding where this was going.
"If you can spit, you can play, get over here" he said.

Everyone who ever played in an Ensemble that Matty directed
knows that we did not rehearse until we got it right,
we rehearsed until we could not get it wrong.

Come to think of it, I cannot remember Matty
ever missing a lesson or rehearsal.

He simply would not allow himself to become ill.

Again he led by example.

Matty was a surrogate father to all of us.

His concern went beyond our performance in lessons and ensembles.

His concern for us included academic and music classes.

At every lesson he would inquire about our progress.

He had good reason to inquire about my progress with piano class.

Piano class was a hurdle everyone had to overcome
to graduate from Duquesne.

I remember standing at Matty’s piano during a tuba lesson,
playing the star spangled banner or some other patriotic song
thinking "Continuity is the word".

He wanted us to succeed and would do anything
he could to make it happen.

The man responsible for piano class was Matty’s closest
friend and compatriot, Mr Carmen Rummo.

Mr. Rummo was every bit as demanding as Matty.

Matty’s dedication and devotion to his students was equaled
by Mr. Rummo along with Matty’s beloved brother, Eddie Shiner.

Together these three men made Duquesne University a very special school.

Their dedication and devotion to teaching is unmatched.

I’m sure all of us in the teaching profession try our best
to continue Matty’s legacy.

It is in this way that Matty lives on.

I would like to recite a poem. (the author is unknown to me)

The Teacher said to the Students:

"Come to the Edge."

They replied: "We might fall."

The Teacher again said:

"Come to the Edge."

And they responded: "Its too High."

"COME TO THE EDGE."

The Teacher Demanded.

And they came

And he pushed them.

And they Flew.