<p>Marcus originally got a teaching certificate to cover his (a$$) options.
He built a small barely surviving program, into one of the best in the country.</p>
<p>My daughter doesn’t take an instrument- because unfortunately her school didn’t have music lessons past 4th grade and we couldn’t afford to pay for private, but the sounds coming out of the orchestra room, are just amazing & add to the life of the whole school.
He is really an inspiration.
THank you to all the teachers who go above and beyond.</p>
<p>yes- she used to take clarinet and flute in 4th and 5th grade, but even though she got quite good and we finally paid off the instrument- we were too consumed with trying to find her tutors for her school work, to have finding a clarinet teacher to continue through middle school.
SHe is at Garfield because of Marcus- his daughter is one of her friends, and his wife convinced us that it was worth changing schools for.
I wouldn’t say she is having an easy time- but she feels quite attached and it will be hard next week when they close the building for two years while they completely redo it.
They need a new building badly though- Garfield was old when my mother attended in teh early 50’s.
They will keep the outside as much as they can- but will renovate the inside</p>
<p>The same Garfield that regularly beats CA bands at the Reno International Jazz Festival?? (shakes fist)</p>
<p>What is it about Seattle that turns out these amazing public school music programs? Kids don’t mind staying in and practicing because of all the rain?<br>
The grunge bands provide inspiration and a future goal for musicians of all kinds? Sports is less dominant because you really can’t play in all that mud (the rain, ya know)? </p>
<p>Even though we’re not anywhere near the top regionally, I’m grateful for our music programs every day because it’s one of the few things my son still enjoys about school.</p>
<p>Our daughter’s current band teacher is a jerk, but she has been blessed in the past to have wonderful music teachers who have inspired her to become one herself. Even the one she has now has taught her how not to do things.</p>
<p>Her two private instructors (piano and flute) have been all that anyone could ever have hoped for. They are dedicated, supportive, talented, demanding teachers who continually challenge their students to grow and expand their horizons musically.</p>
<p>The Tsutakawa family is really amazing
George ( a renowned artist and profesor at US) & Ayame had 4 talented kids.
Gerry- who installed many of his fathers sculptures and is an aclaimed artist in his own right, Deems a well known jazz musician, Mayumi a writer and museum curator and Marcus ( who according to his wife reads scores in bed instead of books )
Plus couldnt be farther from “artistic types” as usually described ( prima donas)- really easy going- soft spoken- very intelligent and thoughtful
<a href=“http://www.v4.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=3088[/url]”>http://www.v4.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=3088</a></p>
<p>There was a thread a while back about “most influential teachers” or something like that. Someone observed how many of them were music teachers. This was certainly S’s experience in middle and high school. I think he would name four teachers as being major influences for him - History, Physics, MS Band Director and HS Band Director. Two of four.</p>
<p>For my son, 100% hands down, no comparison, it has been his music teachers who have influenced him more than anyone else. They shape his entire day, between classes and ensemble work , so he rubs elbows with his directors all day long. </p>
<p>He always says that music is the whole purpose of his being at school. I credit his fantastic teachers and directors for that.</p>
<p>I am reviving this thread because I just got an email saying that Clarence Acox is being pushed out of a job next year- for some reason</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Acox is a retire/hire, someone who every year has to be rehired, because he is retired, a position reserved ( I assume) for particulary valuable teachers- which I don’t think anyone could argue he is not</p>
<p>What is with this bleeping school district?
Do we have so many good- ( especially fantastic black male teachers) teachers that we can afford to turn any away?
grr</p>
<p>Emeraldk–sorry to hear that! I would love to have a kid in a program like that in a public school. One would think that schools would do everything in their power to hang on to a talent like that. </p>
<p>I agree with allmusic, too–performing arts teachers, (and also athletic coaches sometimes) have relationships with kids that often span several years of their lives, and thus are likely to have a strong influence on kids.</p>
