Haug is a surname found mainly in Germany and Norway. The Norwegian version is derived from the old Norse word haugr, which means hill, knoll, or mound. It was often linked to occupations related to agriculture, as those living near hills would have been involved in farming or herding livestock in the surrounding area. The name also carries connotations of strength and stability. Tom Haug is the only son of Nordic American parents, and though born and raised in the small village of Whitehall (population 1,459) in Wisconsin, he is quintessentially Norwegian. The ethnicity of Whitehall was almost entirely Norwegian with a few Swedes and Danes. The surrounding counties were rural, and dairy farms dotted the countryside. This particular area of Wisconsin was called the “coulee region” with gently rolling hills and valleys. Winters were very cold with lots of snow and outdoor activities included skiing, skating, and sledding. There were no cell phones, televisions, or internet, so children created their own entertainment. It was against this idyllic backdrop that Tom spent a carefree and enjoyable childhood.
Tom’s mother was a schoolteacher, and his father was a truck driver. No one in his family was musical, but their next-door neighbor Louise Johnson was the organist and pianist at the nearby Lutheran church, where music was an important part of services. Tom would often go over to her house to listen to her practice. Perceiving his interest, she taught him to play a few simple pieces that awakened his curiosity. His parents then decided that he should take piano lessons, and they bought him a Baldwin upright piano. He started lessons at age 9 with the only piano teacher in the village named Gussie Jacobsen. Though his school was just one building which housed all 12 grades, kindergarten, and a gym, Gussie convinced the principal to allow her to use a small storage room at the top of the school building. She squeezed two upright pianos and two chairs into the space and began giving piano lessons there. She was a good teacher and Tom continued lessons with her until he was a freshman in high school.
Tom’s love for music blossomed while listening to a classical radio station from Chicago. He had been given a small AM radio on his 9th birthday and at night — especially in the wintertime — he would search stations in his room. One night, he ran across the classical station playing Ravel’s “Bolero” and was enchanted. Soon after, he heard Sibelius’ “Swan of Tuonela” from the Lemminkäinen Suite and was hooked. That music still haunts him. By the time he was 12 years old he joined the junior high band and opted to play trombone. He took lessons from the band teacher and played through high school. He continued playing trombone in the marching band for his first two years at University of Wisconsin because it got him out of the mandatory ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Course) in which he had no interest.
Tom graduated from college with a degree in Political Geography focusing on Middle Eastern Affairs with German and Arabic as his languages. He was then drafted into the Army but instead volunteered to enter the Air Force Officer’s Training Program. However, his poor eyesight sidelined him, and he was subsequently offered a position in the AF intelligence which he willingly accepted. He got a deferment for six months and it was at this point that his personal life also blossomed, and he married Raye. They met at university in a German class. Two languages were required to graduate, and German was easiest for both of them because Raye’s father’s family came from Germany and his family came from Norway. They began dating and were married shortly after graduation.
After 3 months of training, Tom was sent to Signals Intelligence School in San Angelo, Texas, for one year and then moved to the AF Security Service base in the Greek island of Crete where he oversaw 20 young AF trained Arab linguist servicemen. He says, “Crete was a magical place. We were there for two and half years and it changed our lives forever. We traveled around the Middle East extensively and made lifelong friends with whom we are still in touch.” On returning to the US, Tom worked for the Dept. of Defense developing Intelligence Communication Systems to rapidly channel sensitive intelligence to Military and Civilian personnel in the field of operation. He retired in the mid-nineties, but in the last 12 years, he was assigned the job of forming a small semi-independent organization mandated by the Senate Select Committee for Intelligence. It was dedicated to Intelligence Communication and involved working with both the House and the Senate.
Throughout this time, music remained a part of Tom’s life, and he joined the AMSF in the summer of 1995 because Raye was already a member and Matt Harre, the founder, was his piano teacher. Tom has always been an active member, and his participation is extensive. He has served as AMSF President for three years, Encore Recital Coordinator, Salon Founder and Coordinator, Founder and Coordinator of the monthly “Wednesday Evening Classical Concert” at the Strathmore Mansion with piano music provided by the AMSF, and Producer of the annual AMSF Calendar for 20 years. In addition, he and Raye host several AMSF recitals each year and over the past 25 years have participated in five AMSF-related “Play Groups” originally initiated by Brian Ganz. Tom considers the AMSF to be a unique organization and, based on feedback from new members arriving from other metropolitan areas around the country, he is confident that no other organization of its kind exists! The AMSF brings people together and provides an unintimidating setting for its members to perform regardless of their skill level. He believes that “in this day and age of AI, Netflix, Amazon et. al., social interaction is losing ground to social isolation.” He realizes that AMSF can’t cure that, but it does foster and facilitate gatherings that bring people together.
On his musical journey Tom was strongly influenced by his first piano teacher, Gussie Jacobsen. He says, “I learned more than just playing notes… It was an advanced music appreciation class, and I also learned the need to set up a practice routine and the discipline it takes to maintain that routine.” Gussie organized regular recitals and Tom’s biggest performance was a concert with his best friend Bill Brennom, who was also Gussie’s student and the better pianist. Tom was the “warm-up segment” for Bill and played selections from Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite. Tom’s second influential teacher was Matt Harre, from whom he has taken piano lessons ever since he retired 30 years ago. Matt was highly recommended by Raye’s piano teacher, Spencer Fellows (they thought it prudent not to share the same teacher). Over the years, Matt has become more than a piano teacher and both Tom and Raye consider him a lifelong friend with a shared interest in travelling the world together.
Tom has five favorite composers. Because of his Norwegian heritage, he is drawn to the ageless music of Edvard Grieg, who wrote compositions to fit every skill level. He’s impressed with Rachmaninoff because his pieces are unique, though not easy. He sees Rachmaninoff not only as a composer, but also as a gifted pianist. Franz Liszt is another gifted pianist he admires who composed lovely piano music. The peerless piano music of Claude Debussy enchants him and bridges the gap between the 19th Century romantics and the 20th Century composers. Debussy also wrote for all skill levels. And lastly, Tom’s favorite 20th Century composer is Alberto Ginastera because his music covers many genres from brash and raucous gallops to haunting tangos. Alberto’s 12 American Preludes are a set of Tom’s favorites.
Tom truly enjoys music and does not consider it a hobby. It is more of a way of life. In his spare time, however, he likes to tackle the large crossword puzzles in the weekend Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. He also enjoys playing card games, and both he and Raye play cribbage a couple nights a week. To aspiring musicians he says, “Have fun! You’ll find far more enjoyment in what you are doing. But most of all, be complimentary to your fellow musicians. Find something nice to say about the piece they played. You like to receive compliments, so do the same!”