By Jon Farmer
On Saturday May 30th over 300 people gathered at St. George's Church in Owen Sound to celebrate the career of retiring Hillcrest Elementary music teacher Brad Crawford. The audience filled the pews while current and former students, including Crawford's two sons, surprised him with a tribute concert, shared their favourite stories, and thanked him for the lessons he had taught them. Teaching does not provide much instant gratification but Saturday's show was proof that good teachers make great differences.
Although Crawford knew that something was in the works he had no idea that it was a concert of this scale and the surprise showed in a beaming and tearful smile as he entered the church to a standing ovation. The concert was organized by Brad's wife Laura and one of his former Hillcrest students, Nolan Murphy, who now attends West Hill Secondary School and is Crawford's current co-op student. Planning began seven months ago with Nolan and Laura digging up old year books, tracking down former students, and finding instruments for them to play. The result was an afternoon of performances by ensembles ranging from ten musicians to over one hundred, representing the impact of Crawford's decades' long career. Murphy confessed that the group had only practiced in its entirety that morning but the quality of the performance was testament to Crawford's musical legacy.
Despite the afternoon's musical focus, impromptu personal tributes gave the best evidence of Crawford's full legacy as a teacher. Between songs, current and former students shared funny stories and thanked Crawford for the impact he had on their lives. The audience heard stories about a disciplined teacher with high expectations whose favourite word was 'practice'. The students described Crawford's bands as small communities that had a place for everyone. One woman in her mid-twenties choked back tears while thanking Crawford for creating a place where kids who felt weird could be themselves. Sarah Clark, who now teaches music in the Bluewater District School Board, thanked Crawford for helping her to follow her passion. Neil Morley told the audience that while studying saxophone at the University of Toronto he joined a senior ensemble whose director had a severe reputation. The ensemble's first rehearsal was strict but friendly and when it was over Morley was at ease, feeling at home with a style of discipline he first met at Hillcrest in grade 7 band.
Murphy juggled roles throughout the afternoon, moving between the podium and various instruments in the band. While heading to the back to fill in on percussion he called Crawford up to take his place at the podium. The crowd burst into applause.
"Do I get a score?" Crawford asked.
"You should know it by now" Murphy laughed while winding his way through the band as Crawford shuffled the papers on the stand.
Crawford's three decades of experience were on display as his arms marked time with fast and fluid movements, the band following his rising arms and open palms through dynamic changes and into an explosive finish. The musicians knew what to watch for; Crawford's bands have long held a reputation for gold medal performances at local Kiwanis events.
At the concert's end Crawford rose for an emotional thank you. He described a teaching philosophy intended to empower students by encouraging them to figure problems out on their own.
"If you don't know a note, where do you look?" he asked before confirming a response from the band.
"That's right, the fingering chart".
"There is so much that you don't see in each of your children," Crawford told the audience of mostly parents, "they don't need me, they can do it".
The confidence and achievement of his students might prove his point but with so much respect and gratitude on display from both students and families I expect that they'll miss him all the same.
