Friday 27 March 2009

Teachers.

I have just been listening to Dvorack's cello concerto and my mind went back to Mr Clayton.

Mr Clayton was my music teacher at secondary school who thought it was a waste of time teaching a bunch of adolescent boys musical theory, so what he did instead was to try and instil an appreciation for music in us. What that entailed was him bringing in his beloved classical music albums and letting us listen to them.

Did it work? In my case yes. I still remember him playing us Grieg's piano concerto and from that opening drum roll I was hooked. So much so that at fourteen the first album I bought was that same concerto and it still moves me to this day.

Every so often he would play us something that was challenging like Mahler. I remember saying to him it was awful and boring, his answer was look for the emotion. I wish he was around for me to tell him that forty years later I have found the emotion and now wonder how I could live without Mahler's music.

So thank you Mr Clayton, you did not waste your time.

2 comments:

Gnarf said...

What a fabulous post ~ Pan ~ I'd like to think the teacher you are speaking of *knows* somewhere that he didn't waste his time.

good teachers..like good Doctors..are angels on this earth.

Well ~ maybe that's cause I live with a good teacher...lol...biased!

Cello music, especially...tends to hit you right in the solar plexus...I love the cello ~

xo

Raspberry

Raushanna said...

You took the words right out of my mouth, Raspberry. I had a music teacher like that, and so did my son. We both have an appreciation of all kinds of music, all thanks to a great teacher who had the patience and skill to plant that spark.