When I was 11, I had just the most fantastic music teacher.  For the next 7 years we worked on all types of music together, one on one, in group classes, in a wind symphonia and also in the school orchestra.

Later on we did music tours with a 70 piece orchestra made up of the senior players from the 4 high schools that he taught at.  Wonderful times and just about the best times I had at school.

Since then I have listened to and played all types of music but not as much as I would like to have but it would be fair to say that music still has an important role in my life

The last two weeks have been a bit too busy and so it has been great to hear two quite different talks on music related by two great people.

The first was on National Radio and was wide ranging and engaging. Just the thing for Saturday morning driving around time. Plenty of music history from 1981 and before plus some current music from Dunedin.

Playing Favourites with Graeme Downes
Senior lecturer in contemporary rock music at the University of Otago, and a founding member of The Verlaines (They recorded 120 songs in their careeer) . File Size:13.2MB about 35 mins
Date: (Sat, 12 Jul 2008 10:06:00 +1200)

Songs by Simon Comber “Jaws of Life” and “Happened Before” by The Tweaks – (not included in the show as they have been edited out for copyright reasons presumably.) Tono and The Finance Company “Daffodils & a Cashbook.” plus a few others that I missed.

Graeme’s PHD was based on the music of Mahler and his musical journey 30 years on makes for an interesting listen.

Benjamin Zander is clearly a great inspirational teacher on many levels and a Mahler fan.

“A leading interpreter of Mahler and Beethoven, Benjamin Zander is known for his charisma and unyielding energy — and for his brilliant pre-concert talks”.

Just the thing for the end of the week.

Or go here if the video doesn’t play for you. When Ben plays a Chopin piece the audience is invited along as well. You have to see it to get the back story. My late and much loved music teacher would have been very proud.

I always thought he had one of the best jobs in the world but to hear Zander reframe it as a way “to awaken possibility in other people” does make a huge difference and that is exactly what TC did.

Note: Today is National Poetry day in New Zealand.

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