Dr. Mckee's ability to quickly retrieve an answer to any question involving physics, art, music, math, geography, or history was vastly superior to any computer search engine. He never said,"I don't know" or "I'll get back to you". Not only would he provide the correct answer, but he could explain it in terms an ordinary person could understand.At an age when many young men were finishing up their educations, Dr. McKee became a music professor at The University of Tulsa. He wasn't too proud to simultaneously hold down a job at a music store. Although obviously full of pride for his extraordinarily talented mother-in-law, father-in-law, wife, children, son-in-law, and grandchildren, he never bragged about their accomplishments or his own. Humbleness was part of his nature.About eight months ago, I played in a concert with three other horn players. The range of our ages spanned fifty years, but all of us had studied with Dr. McKee and had been inspired by his innovative techniques. He is the only teacher I ever knew who drew pictures to illustrate the quality of the sound we were supposed to be producing. Music history classes were pleasurable, but still edifying because Dr. McKee used games like "drop the needle" to teach us. I'll always remember the difference between an extravaganza and a fine performance.One of my own students once told me that good teachers have a type of immortality. Even after the teacher's biological life ends, eternal life continues as the students continue to practice and teach the lessons they learned. I believe that the wisdom, humbleness, and innovation demonstrated by Dr. McKee will insure his immortality because of what he taught generations of students.
