I had had a classical education prior to that.

They were divorced seven years later. Although he didn't receive formal conservatory education in music Henderson received classical training under Fritz Reiner Albert Coates Arnold Schoenberg Ernst Toch and Arturo Toscanini who invited him to conduct the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Crosby settled on "Skitch" which came from "The Sketch Kid" referring to Henderson's ability to quickly transcribe music to a written score.

Lyle Russell Cedric “Skitch” Henderson (January 27 1918 – November 1 2005) was a pianist conductor and composer. His nickname ("Skitch") reportedly derived from his ability to quickly "re-sketch" a song in a different key.