I was born in Jersey City, NJ, in 1930, and was brought up in Brooklyn, NY, where I studied the trombone.〔Kottick's parents were, according to (), Hyman W. and Frieda M. (Stoller) Kottick.〕 I later became a music major at NYU. Following two years in the army, where I conducted a band, I went to New Orleans, LA, to play in the symphony; but after a few years of that I decided to go to graduate school at Tulane University, where I was introduced to musicology and renaissance music. The combination made a deep impression on me, and after my MA I went to the University of North Carolina for my PhD. (It was there that I saw my first kit harpsichord.) I continued to play the trombone, which helped me support my wife and two daughters,〔These were (()): wife Gloria Astor, married May 10, 1953; daughters Judith, Janet.〕 but by this time I had become a dedicated musicologist. After a series of teaching posts around the midwest I ended up at the University of Iowa, where I have happily remained ever since. I ran the collegium musicum at Iowa for many years, and also played recorder in a baroque trio ensemble. I retired from teaching in 1992.〔(Source: Kottick web site )〕