This page is dedicated to my father, Ron Panton. It’s a work in progress.
Ron was a prolific composer and arranger (and quite a comedian). I managed to save a lot of his compositions from going into the trash as he reached his 90’s and was trying to clean up the place. I scanned the contents of binders filled with scores of his duets, trios, quartets, quintets and more. I’ve organized them but am working out the best way to make them available for download here.
I also have some live recordings of his music including some very old ones (read poor quality) and some Standard MIDI files. Please check back as I work to populate this page. In the meantime, below is a biography of his interesting life and career.
Ronald Alexander Panton
Ron Panton, my dad, was a musician, arranger, and composer. He was born in 1915 in Novato CA and by age 14 had learned to play the organ and trumpet. He joined the California National Guard Band, was an Eagle Scout, learned Morse code and got his ham radio license in 1930. Ron was fascinated with electronics and around 1934 worked as an electrician in the Bethlehem Shipyard, but before then he’d began his long musical career.
At 17 Ron played trumpet and wrote arrangements for dance orchestras, among them the Freddy Nagel and Buddy Maleville Orchestras. He moved around quite a bit as part of his job with United Airlines but continued as arranger and business manager for Freddy Nagel. He left United Airlines and returned to Monterey where he ran, and lived at, KDON FM radio station at Mt. Baldie. During this time he played French Horn with the Monterey Symphony and composed music.
In the early 50’s he worked as an engineer for KCBS in San Francisco and during that time played trumpet and French horn with Marin Symphony. He met and married Helga Roller in 1952. They had two childeren, my sister Siri in 1955 and me in 1957. The family moved to Menlo Park that year when he started his job in the Radio Physics lab at SRI. He worked there full time until 1980 and part time until 1991.
Due to a fall from the 50′ radio tower in our backyard, he switched from playing the trumpet to the oboe, which I took up in 1965. In retirement Ron continued to play the oboe with local orchestras and small chamber music ensembles. He wrote and arranged scores of music for woodwinds which I managed to save from the garbage bin! It’s taken a few years, but I’ve finally scanned the many pieces he created and offer them here for all to try out and enjoy. I’ll also upload some of the recordings I have of his compositions.
Known for his sense of humor, Ron used various psuedonyms as composer of his works such as Sergio Hernandez, Hamish MacDougal, and Horatio Spottsfauna. He rearranged many of his own pieces to suit various ensembles he performed with as well as honor requests from fellow musicians. I remember seeing him at the piano with paper, pencil, and eraser in hand, leaving the erasing all over the keyboard and music desk. In the 80’s he embraced computers, notation software and a MIDI keyboard (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) to assist in his writing and arranging. You’ll still see many handwritten notes and corrections in his charts.
I did my best while scanning to keep things looking good but was not always successful. I hope you can enjoy this American composer’s many chamber music works.