The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-04-04
Spans Gulf Between Athletics
and Music to Put Hobby
on Business Basis.

There's wide gulf between coaching
athletics in Texas university and
heading a department of music in
another one in Pittsburgh, but the
local boy makes good" story back of
this accomplishment is the tale Of a
hobby and Malta Gouze.
Most Ely people viii recall plain Matt
Gouze as one of the star basketball
players who in 1929 carried the Red
and White colors of Memorial high
school to the state tournament for its
first and only time. Now, using the
Slovenian form of his name after it
caught On" because Of his NBC radio
appearances, he IS managing director of
the tamburitza department of Duquesne
university.
Matthew decided to make athletics
his career when he entered St. Thomas
at st. Paul, where he made quite
name for himself in football, basketball
and track Because he had TO have
some scholastic subject TO teach, As
he termed it, he majored in history and
had a minor in music. He and three
other Ely boys helped out on their
expenses by teaming up as tamburitza
group and giving concerts IN high
schools all over the state as a good
will unit from St. Thomas
Here Gouze, who with his tamburitza
orchestra from Duquesne made an an
pearance in Ely last week on their
annual Easter tour of the middlewest.
showed one of his traits which he
probably would pass off rather lightly.
He has a good eye for business and
this summer it took his % days
to book "a appearances for the coming
season. If ever he has the desire.
which he probably won't, to again
change his vocation, he could make
comfortable living as a salesman.
Playing tamburitzas for the good of
st. Thomas and college expense money
with Gouze were Anthony Antoncich,
who viii be graduated from the college
of dentistry at the University of Min
nesota this spring; Frank Gouze, Mats
brother, who viii also be graduated
this spring from the university's school
of medicine, and Jack Gerzin, who is
an accountant with the Northwest
Adults company, Minneapolis.
After graduating from St. Thomas,
Matt secured position at st. Edwards
university, branch of Notre Dame, at
Austin, Texas, where he taught his
history and helped turn out some fine
football and basketball teams during
his two years on the staff. It IS here
that he got the idea to put his hobby
of playing the tanburitza to practical
use.
Teaming up with A. Lester Pierce,
psychology instructor at st. Edwards.
who also thought Gouze had some
thing, the Ely boy descended on Du-
quesne and sold the college officials on
the idea Of establishing a tamburitza
department. as a means Of helping
needy, worthy and musically inclined
students through college and securing
generous quantities of good viii for
the university by making tours with
the orchestra.
Perhaps it was the psychology
VOaNA4Cl VIII J4Of4OCO IOW 10 make
friends and influence people" tactics
that secured Gouze's appointment, for
he obtained a position for himself as
well on the Duquesne staff. Or per-
haps he drew up the method of ap-
preach and Gouze did the selling, but
in any event they are both now resi-
dents of Pittsburgh and Matt is well
on his way to establishing himself
soidly as the sole nationally known
exponent of an instrument that is a
direct descendant Of the ancient Iutes
Gouze first went to the Smoky City
TO study for his masters degree IN
music, with the tamburitza idea as a
SORT Of sideline. He also had the re-
sponsibility of seeing that the thing
paid out somewhere near satisfactorily
financially for the university It grew
and prospered until after three years
Gouze now heads specially created
tamburitza department that is an
established and important part of the
Pennsylvania school
Primarily his students play the tam
buritZa IN order to secure funds for
education in their chosen fields Along
with this goes their tours, which in
clude weekend trips to raise money