My Uncle Bob was a genius. In grade school his teacher scolded him for bringing his book home on the first day of school (assuming he hadn't finished his work, when Bob just wanted to learn more). As I understand it, Uncle Bob basically never brought books home with him again.
Music is where he excelled. His piano teacher had to quit after a few years when they couldn't teach him anything he hadn't already mastered. As a junior in high school, he wrote music for the whole band to play which he conducted in a concert. Dad says one of his musical highlights is playing the trombone as a freshman while Uncle Bob conducted another original piece the next year as senior. His award-winning time as a composer, professor, and conductor at the University of Arkansas speaks for itself. Although you should definitely go watch and listen to any and all recordings that are out there. My favorite is “Satori (Awakening) Concerto for Violin and Orchestra” that features his daughter Tara on violin (and son-in-law Thomas in first YouTube comment). I can imagine it being the soundtrack to a space or fantasy epic.
Uncle Bob's brilliance didn't end with music though. He knew more about weather, infrastructure, languages, history (or anything else he studied) than self-proclaimed “experts” in those fields.
He didn't boast though; Uncle Bob was beyond humble. He was incredibly self-deprecating. He once told me, “That's ok, I'm just a loser” in response to me bragging about fact that the car I was riding in beat the one he was driving (or something equally trivial that young nephews are competitive about). As a youngster who thought winning was everything (much to the frustration of my brothers), Uncle Bob's response left me baffled. As I have grown older, I realized that he taught me accolades come from excellence and not tooting your own horn.
Uncle Bob's bashfulness couldn't conceal the fact that he was undeniably cool. I remember walking into his office (which was as “organized” as every other Mueller office and desk I've seen). There was a poster on the wall of Mount Rushmore that was certainly given to him as a gift. George Washington had been replaced with Uncle Bob! Washington was instead in a sweet leather jacket and sunglasses on a motorcycle in the foreground of the picture. The artist’s message was simple: Robert Mueller's greatness is undeniable, and he's so cool that George Washington would give up being the best president to live Uncle Bob’s life.
What demonstrates even a higher degree of cool is the fact that Uncle Bob was able to somehow pull Aunt Tess. This is especially impressive when learning that Tess’s introduction to Uncle Bob was a conversation with her friends at the University of Cincinnati about “Some weird homeless guy on campus who might be living in his car.” It's clear that college Uncle Bob must have possessed what the kids today call “Rizz” (charisma).
Uncle Bob certainly had a sparkle in his eye. Its something he shares with other great storytellers like Norm MacDonald (although Uncle Bob’s stories were appropriate for most audiences). Whether it was explaining the humorous yet questionable personal history of a composer or making something up about stuffed teddy bears, his stories built worlds and connected you to his.
I'm sure it's his ability to connect that made Uncle Bob such a great professor. People always learn best when they have a connection with their teacher and they can connect with what they are learning. Genuine connection was something Uncle Bob valued. It's probably why he said he would rather have people listen to his music in person instead of watching it on YouTube.
He always had time to connect with me too. When I was writing songs and starting a band in high school. He listened keenly about what I was up to and answered my questions about what notes would work in a guitar riff. I felt like a big deal talking to Uncle Bob about music. In reality, me talking to him about my cheesy songs to impress a pretty girl with only 4 chords was like a preschooler proudly showing their macaroni art to Leonardo da Vinci.
My songs did have their desired effect. The spring after Jessie and I married, Uncle Bob and Tess visited us in St. Paul. We gave them the dozen step tour of our apartment. They told us what it was like for them starting out, reminisced about having to clean quickly for unexpected company, and made sure we knew they were proud of us. After they left we noticed they had covertly left something behind for us during the tour. Aunt Tess always brings a gift for the host.
Uncle Bob and Aunt Tess were perfect to each other. Not only did they share a passion for music and learning, but their strengths sang in harmony. He wrote music that she performed. She was his champion and advocate. They illuminated each other's talents, and I'm sure their relationship was integral to the success they’ve achieved. Their kids Tara, Erica, and Alex show that same light from Uncle Bob and Aunt Tess. It's fun to see how they shine in music, art, and engineering. I'm sure his grandkids, Forrest and River, will shine too.
My favorite memories with Uncle Bob are sitting around at the family reunions talking with the aunts and uncles. Other uncles talked more, and I certainly tried to add more to the conversation than was needed, but Uncle Bob always had the best lines. Not only did he have quick wit, but what he said possessed almost a magical quality to it because of that sparkle in his eye. Whether it was “Hey is that Ernie Harwell on the radio?” when the cousins were playing wiffle ball by the pond, or “Help me find the stuff for a ketchup sandwich” when he was rummaging around the kitchen during a visit one night.
I missed out on watching and hearing my Uncle Bob conduct the orchestra live. I always thought I had more time. After all, my dad's siblings age extremely well, and the concerts were usually at busy times for me as a teacher. If you have a friend or relative that does something amazing (especially to the award winning genius level), don't put off seeing it in person. Connect with them and see them shine their light.
Uncle Bob's faith was evident in the music he wrote. It was even more evident in how he lived his life as a husband, dad, grandfather, and uncle. I'm confident I'll be able to see and hear him conduct the angels and saints in heaven some day. With eternity to spend, he might even collaborate with me to elevate some song I wrote in high school. Until then, I'll have to watch and listen online to the echoes of the greatest musical genius my world has ever known.
