In response to my blogs about Barry Manilow’s latest, tremendous donation to Clark County schools in Nevada, I’ve received two posts from the Choir Director at Raymond Cree Middle School in Palm Springs - my youngest son attends RCMS and is so fortunate to have Mr. E as his choir director/teacher.
Of course Barry’s fans always have great things to say about him. But reading what this gentleman said not only as a fan (which he is) but as a musician, a gifted performer himself, and a teacher whose class has benefited from Barry’s contributions with the Manilow Music project, I have to say these comments brought me to happy tears - in spite of being a mush, crying over stuff is not my norm.
The following comments are from Mr. E
- Anyone who would give so very much to young people that he may never meet, simply for the good of the world, in my opinion, totally ‘gets it’! GO MR. MANILOW! Some of the RCMS CHOIR kids are learning on a donated keyboard every day during 4th period piano lab! THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO!!!!
- ANDÂ
- I, unfortunately, am regularly subject to ‘tears of joy’ when it comes to my (OK, any) music students…it was my high school band director, Larry Ammel, who paved the road for everything that the music world brought me…14yrs of teaching AND 12 exciting years of opera singing all over the place! I’m so lucky…and it’s all because one teacher ‘gave a damn’!!!!! I’m thinking that Mr. Manilow is a teacher too…he’s teaching people in his position how to do something good…REAL GOOD!
What brought me the tears of joy was his statement that Barry “get’s it”. He does! I’ve said before no matter how high Barry has climbed on the ladder of success he has never forgotten where he started and what mattered and matters most in life.
And his last comment “one teacher ‘gave a damn’!!!!! I’m thinking that Mr. Manilow is a teacher too…he’s teaching people in his position how to do something good…REAL GOOD!” Barry is a teacher showing us all how to pay it forward, how to be a role model, how to give to those whom you’ll probably never meet with no thought of reward or repayment. Just doing it because touching someones heart in any way you can is the right thing to do.
Thank you alone seems so small a statement, yet its all I have right now. Thank you Barry for your music, your inspiration, and for being the catalyst that has brought the joy of learning music into my sons life. Thank you Mr. E for being passionate about your role in life, in teaching these kids to appreciate all music has to offer and for making a difference in my child’s life. You both are my heros with hearts that rival the magnitude of oceans!
It never ceases to amaze me in the grand scheme of things how small this world is. How the actions of one person circles back to another and eventually has an affect on our own lives. In all ways great and small we truly are connected as one.