Music Man · Thu Mar 30, 09:00 by Eleri Straker
A close friend of mine, a science teacher who decided that his teaching skills would be better utilised in special needs departments, told me that whenever he was asked what he taught, he would always reply that he taught children. It may seem like a facetious answer, but he’s right. That’s what we do. We teach children. The subject matter of either our degrees or our lessons comes secondary to that fact. The really important thing that we do is teach children.
My music teacher didn’t have a degree. I’m not even sure he had a teaching qualification. At least, not one that would be recognisable by the authorities today. But he was supremely qualified in another way. He loved his students and his music. And this was something we all understood and appreciated. As I was brought up in Wales and attended a Welsh school, music, or in my day, singing, was very important. After all where do you think all that singing in international rugby matches comes from?
Our school choir was renowned throughout Wales. And we could really sing. But we didn’t sing for the glory of the school, or for Wales or for anything like that. We sang for him. He could be crotchety, hung over and foul-mouthed on a Monday morning (and haven’t we all been there!) and we would dread his mood. But once he opened the lid of the grand piano that graced our school hall and run his nicotine stained fingers along the ivory, the spell was cast, his bad mood would lift and with it our hearts and we would sing. For him. He never told us we were lousy singers, and surely on a Monday morning we must have been a bit ropey. He simply told us to try again and this time to raise the roof. So we did. And the praise would come. And to receive praise from this man was worth a dozen ‘O’level certificates. When he conducted the choir, we would watch his face light up with real joy as our voices harmonised to create the perfect chord. We would do anything for this odd, Einstein-haired musician and we travelled the length and breadth of Wales, giving up our weekends to perform in concerts all over the country, not out of fear of his wrath but out of fear of disappointing him. He loved and respected us and we knew it. And it was reciprocated. It’s what made us the best school choir in Wales and despite not being a natural musician myself, I remember him with affection and gratitude, for showing me what an inspirational teacher really is.
