A Shout-Out to Music Educators

At my recent book reading events, I asked members of the audience to fill out notecards with the names of music teachers and directors who had inspired them or their family members. I mentioned that I was collecting the names so I could include them in a blog post as a shout-out to people who have made the world a better place through music education.

Younger me with my piano teacher, Beverly Rolfsrud.

I thought the activity was a fun way to get the audience involved, but it was also meaningful to me because it goes to the heart of my reason for writing my book. My great-grandfather G. Oliver Riggs made a difference in the lives of hundreds and hundreds of men and boys who performed in his bands. I know this because I interviewed some of them decades later, and they were still talking about how he had influenced them to become better musicians and better people. I hope he had at least some idea of the positive difference he made.

Below are the names of other influential music educators, people who were mentioned on the notecards I collected. I have since added a few names of my own. If you could not attend my reading—or if you did and have since thought of someone to add—please feel free to post the names and information at the bottom of the blog post, where it says “Add a comment,” and I will update the list later.

Also, if your favorite music educator is still alive, I encourage you to consider sending him or her a note (get it—a note?! Of course you do, you sharp readers. Ah, music puns). I’m sure it would be greatly appreciated!

• George C. Alter, Kansas City, Missouri, Southwest High School band, stage band and orchestra director. “He inspired us to do our best while having fun. I went on to get a music scholarship in college and have a lifelong love of most forms of music. He touched many lives in the many years as music director at SWHS.”—Gayle Schurig 

• John Anderson, Jefferson High School (Alexandria, Minn.) band director
“He inspired us to work hard, while also making it fun, and it paid off; our marching band was outstanding. I miss it whenever I hear a drum cadence.”—Joy Riggs

• William Baker, longtime band director at LaCrosse Central High School   
“He allowed me to arrange music for the bands, write marching drills and conduct the concert band in concert.”—Tim Mahr

• Roger Barrett, trombone teacher and band director at St. Cloud State University (mentioned by two people)
“Erwin Hertz was my high school band director, and a good one—but Roger Barrett was my favorite.”—William Riggs

• George Beverley, clarinet teacher

• Patsy Bode, piano teacher

• Linda Boman, piano teacher 
“Her mom also directed my children's choir at church, and her dad was a band director at the high school.”—Carrie Duba

• Judy Bond, elementary music in Northfield—Tania Larson Legvold 

• Isabelle Campbell, “My sixth-grade teacher who actually had a real piano in our classroom and encouraged me to demonstrate my ballet skills for my classmates ... with accompaniment!”
 
• Mr. Cody, choir teacher at McKinley Junior High in Pasadena, Calif. 
“Every year the best students in all his classes participated in ‘Broadway in Review.’ The year I was in choir I ended up as one of the urchins in two songs from Oliver! A wonderful experience.”—Hans Muessig

• Dan Danielson, East Grand Forks (Minn.) Senior High School choir director and church choir director—Heidi Parton

• “My neighbor, Idilio DelCol, (who) led an accordion band that I joined at age 10 in St. Louis Park.”—Doug Bratland

• “My dad, Perry Dungey, who was a band director in Buhl, Minn., and introduced me to music (classical, especially).”—Lori Ramig

• “Unfortunately, I never learned to play an instrument, although singing has always been a big part of my life. My across-the-alley neighbor in Chicago was a band director and music teacher at Morgan Park Academy. His name was Neil Dunlap. I watched his students come and go from his basement for the years of my childhood, and realized a great longing in me. Finally at age 18 I bought a flute at a pawn shop and Mr. Dunlap helped me find one of his students to teach me basics.”

• Kathy Ecklund, private flute lesson teacher   
“She was patient, talented and amazing. She kept me engaged with music.”—Cheryl Buck

• “My dad, Norbert Ewald, played trombone from 1938 to 2013. Still talks about it. (He) gave me my trombone and we played many duets.”

• Ms. Pat Feit, high school choir director, Princeton, Minn., “taught me to share my voice.”—Beth Podtburg

• Viva Fleming, music, Thorp (Wis.) Elementary School

• Mr. Gagnon, junior high and high school orchestra director—Myrna Mibus 

• “Mark Gitch was my son Trent’s orchestra teacher in Owatonna High School until Trent graduated in 1999. He helped Trent with music theory to prepare him for a major in music at college. Trent now has a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in bassoon. Mark now teaches in Wayzata.”—Marcia Jacobs

• Theresa Goble, high school choir director—Steve Lawler

• Leon Haefner, clarinet teacher and band director

• Erwin Hertz

• Norm Herzog, Roseville (Minn.) Area High School

• Roger Jenni!!!—Myrna Mibus

• Miles “Mity” Johnson, St. Olaf College Band director (mentioned by two people)
“Truly my musical father in every respect.”—Tim Mahr
“Incredible band director.”—Lori Ramig 

• Janice Jurgenson—Scott Richardson

• Just a special thanks to Christine Kallman in town for her years teaching piano to our children.”

• Dave Kallman—Scott Richardson 

• Arne B. Larson, “high school band director and founder of the National Music Museum in Vermillion, S.D.!”—Susan Hvistendahl

• Sister Arlene Lavediere, vocal teacher

• Mike Legvold, “Teaches others but inspires me.”—Tania Larson Legvold

• “My grade school band teacher, Marv Lysing, had a huge effect on the musical lives of my sister, brother and me.”—Doug Bratland

• Katie McMahon, voice teacher—Myrna Mibus 

• Miss Marvel, Riverview school music teacher, St. Cloud. “She always smiled, had a wooden leg, and played her harp that lived in the classroom!”—William Riggs 

• Jane Mathieu, piano teacher at Studio Grand in St. Paul
“She was my teacher for almost a decade. I now meet her for lunch a couple times a year.”—Kate Hopper

• Miss Maxwell in Fayetteville, New York, in the 1940s. 

• Lise Messier, “My voice teacher in high school.”—Ann Etter 

• Darwin Missling, choral director at Southview Middle School in the 1970s. “He taught choral to a bunch of crummy 7th graders who then grew to love him over the next five years until we graduated.”—Kathleen Stoehr

• Karen Mueller, mandolin teacher—Myrna Mibus

• Yosh Murakami, Northfield High School choir director

• Mrs. Ann Nadeau, piano teacher

• Jean Nelson, “Director of my high school a cappella choir.”—Ann Etter

• Jack Noble

• Mrs. Jeri Lee Owens, piano teacher

• Donna Paulsen, organist, pianist (encourager) in Northfield

• My marching band director, Mr. Bob Perrier (Windom, Minn.), who let me play flute and piccolo, though he really wanted me to be a flag girl.”—Heidi Schneider

• Miss Pfaff, piano teacher—Anne Falvey Riggs

• Jeanette Pierce, Arden Hills (Minn.)

• Laudie Porter, flute teacher in Northfield—Tania Larson Legvold

• Beverly Rolfsrud, piano teacher in Alexandria, Minn. 
“I was a little scared of her, especially when I was not prepared for a lesson, but she had faith in my abilities and encouraged me to tackle challenging pieces. Because of her nine years of instruction, I can still sit down at the piano bench, dust off the keys and play a passable tune.”—Joy Riggs

• Mrs. Sanger, Emmit Williams Elementary School, Shoreview (Minn.)

• Cora Scholz (mentioned by two people)—Tania Larson Legvold and Scott Richardson

• Dick (Richard) Schirmacher, choir teacher, Sandburg Junior High

• Mrs. Oris Shoemaker, piano teacher 
“She was patient, let me work ahead when I found a song I liked and always gave me sheet music for Christmas (‘popular’ music or Christmas music). She did not believe in recitals, which worked for me. I walked the 1/2-block to her home and did my lesson before school. I enjoyed it—got myself up and there all on my own. I still remember how she taught me to read music and believe her gentle temperament was well suited to my own non-gentle approach.”—Kathy Granger 

• Gyorgy Sebok 

• John Solie, “awesome high school band director from Dawson, MN.”

• Emmet Stark, band, Eden Prairie (Minn.) High School

• Paul Stoughton, choir, band and orchestra at Northfield High School in the 1950s

• John Tesar, Hopkins High band leader, “Taught trombone in the 1960s-1970s.”

• James Thulein,“He set high standards.”—Lori Ramig

• “Art Vogel, my outstanding orchestra teacher in Windom, MN, who taught me viola and snare drum.”—Heidi Schneider 

• Harvey Waugh

• Mrs. Norma West, Pilgrim Lane Elementary, “Taught me the proper music scales, and ‘ta, ta, ti, ti, ta.’”

• A. DeWayne Wee, Northfield piano teacher, and professor emeritus of music at St. Olaf College
“He is not only an incredibly talented musician, he is the kindest and most patient music teacher I have ever met. He taught piano to all three of our often-squirrely, not-overly-fond-of-practicing kids, which should make him eligible for a special award.”—Joy Riggs

• Mary Williams, Northfield High School band director, “Because she encouraged Ryan to play trumpet when he was in third grade.”—Myrna Mibus