At age 88, Carlton Schnelle continues to entertain generations with his popular piano playing. The lifelong resident grew up in a musical family, but did not perform regularly until he retired from business at age 56. Photo by Phil Houseal

Details:
Carlton Schnelle plays at lunch and dinner every Tuesday at Mr. Gattis. He can be reached by calling 997-2372.

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The sound of Schnelle

by Phil Houseal
Sept 13, 2006

Carlton Schnelle has been providing the soundtrack for generations of Fredericksburg traditions. Chances are you've heard him at a graduation, wedding, anniversary, or County Fair Queen pageant.

I first encountered the legendary performer around 1980. I was eating lunch in Oma Koock's Restaurant (now Hondo's), when a spare man seated himself between two keyboards on the small stage. His quiet demeanor had me unready for what happened next. I put down my sandwich to listen.

The man played as if unable to pry his fingers off the keys. Performer and instrument animated each other, a living jukebox spilling out a seamless Hit Parade. His repertoire was endless; his energy boundless.

Twenty-six years later, I am sitting in Mr. Gattis, where Schnelle is still playing at age 88. His hands are a bit shaky, his eyes are dimmed by macular degeneration, and the little finger on his right hand is completely immobilized by arthritis. But Schnelle continues to perform with amazing energy and enthusiasm.

I was surprised to learn that the man who made music for the past 29 Fair Queen Contests did not begin performing in earnest until he was 56 years old.

Schnelle's mother was a classically trained pianist. In fact, the whole family was musical. They ran the Handy Stop, just past Grapetown and Bankersmith on the Old San Antonio Highway. The place included a dance hall, where young Carlton performed with his folks and his three brothers. Even then he was besotted with the piano.

"My mother was always on me to get to bed late at night, instead of messing around with that piano," he recalled. "But I just enjoyed playing."

His mother was Schnelle's first and only music teacher, but he admits he was lacking as a student.

"She could play any kind of music," he said. "She tried to teach me all that stuff but it didn’t appeal to me. I learned by ear, which is lucky for me now. If it wasn’t for that I couldn’t even play. With my eyesight, there’s no way I could follow sheet music."

Schnelle absorbed enough theory to write a song "Parting Time" during his senior year in high school. The whole class sang it at graduation in 1936. He went on to play piano for dance bands in college. But in 1941, Schnelle was off to war. For the next 35 years, music took a back seat as Schnelle raised a family and operated several businesses. It wasn't until he sold Kegel Lanes in 1976 that Schnelle returned to his first love.

As I munched pizza, waiting to interview him, Schnelle played 45 minutes without pause. And I mean without even stopping between songs! One song flowed to the next, the ultimate medley.

"That's nothing," he said when he finally took a break. "Sometimes I can play two hours without stopping."

He acknowledged that not everyone in his audience appreciates his endurance.

"Some people don't like my style," he deadpanned. "They say 'why don’t you stop sometimes and give those people a chance to do something else instead of listening to you?'"

So how many more Fair Queen contests will Schnelle play?

"People ask me, 'how are you?' I say, 'better than some.' Because I play at nursing homes, and that’s where you find out the condition a lot of people are in. So, I don't plan to quit, no. I think anything anybody does at my age keeps them alive."

That means Schnelle will continue to provide the musical background for another generation.

"Yes, I hope so," he agreed, glancing at his audience as he headed back to his piano. He winked. "At least not too many are getting up to leave right away."

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