Many of us can recall our favorite teacher, or certainly the one that has had the most influential impact on our later lives. This may be in the form of our interest in literature, politics, a sport, or indeed almost any area of interest that otherwise may have passed us by.
“ How many of us can remember being introduced to the wonders of the musical world by an enthusiastic and well-informed communicator?I suspect many. ”
As an Encore Tour Manager,
“ On a personal level, I am continually delighted to see what happens when the concert parts of the tours occur, [because] when it comes to anything to do with the performance parts of the tours, [the students] turn into aunified, organic group .”
And I can confirm that
I speak on a personal level here as a parent. And I hope that some past, present and (hopefully) future Encore parents will be interested in this personal story. I can thank my inspirational piano teacher for introducing me to classical music, which has been such a joy to me since those early lessons. For instance, I cannot imagine life without Mozart, my abiding passion. Although I became technically proficient, it was apparent that my talents lay elsewhere. But in the case of my son Steve, it is a different story.
“ Having tried various instruments at primary school, one day he was handed a flugelhorn and the rest, as they say, is history.That music teacher was the start .”
Having tried various instruments at primary school, one day he was handed a flugelhorn and the rest, as they say, is history. That music teacher was the start. Then came the local Saturday morning music club, and then high school. It was here that the Assistant Music Head ran the Jazz Band, and Steve blossomed.
The band gave many performances, including while on tours abroad – just like Encore Tours. Later at university, where he was studying literature and philosophy, Steve conducted and played trumpet and flugelhorn in his university's highly successful Big Band. By his early twenties,
“ By his early twenties,he had become a professional musician and today runs his own band – the Hackney Colliery Band – which tours the UK and abroad and was the warm-up band performing in front of 80,000 people at the Closing Ceremony of the London Olympics.”
He also plays in many other bands, including a Bollywood Band which often travels to India to play at weddings. And now he, too, is passing on his expertise and experience to young musicians through the pupils he teaches and the workshops he runs.
Now when I meet our Encore students, I wonder how many of them may go on to a career in music or music teaching. Whether they do or not, they will have had handed to them by hard working people a most precious gift: the