I Quit!

In the spring of 2000, I was ready to quit the school. I was working under a woman who began the program, she taught me so much and I deeply respected her.

Without telling me, she had hired a guy to replace her when she retired. He was awful. He screamed at the students, had no idea how to deal with kids and smelled. He smelled so bad that I would get nauseous.

The three of us had to share the small office. It was a miserable existence.

During this time, I was putting together the level program for the 4^th and 5^th graders. It would include soloist on their instrument and the classes would come together at the end to sing songs learned during their classical choir classes.

Often the music head would arrange some music to be played along with the choir accompanist. This one year, Caroline was asked to play a flute solo during a choral piece. No problem.

Stinky told her at the last minute that since she was playing with the choir, she couldn’t play her solo flute piece, which she had been working on for weeks, as it was going to be a long program.

I thought that was just so wrong. It was not in the best interest of the student. I found out and went in search of Caroline. I hauled her out of class to tell her that I put her flute solo into the program and be prepared to play. She was thrilled.

The day of the performance, I had confessed that I had placed her into the program to the music head. She agreed that Caroline should play that night.

The evening of the performance, I saw her enter the ballroom. “Are you ready for your solo?”

She then told me that she was in music class when Stinky asked for a show of hands of those who were playing that night. He saw her hand and told her that she was not playing.

That was it. No way could I work under this guy nor did I want my name connected with his in any way. The music industry in our area is a very small community.

I was offered a great job working with a well-known children’s chamber orchestra. I mentioned it to a parent who was a friend as I was having my final interview that evening. She asked if she could let the head of the school know.

He sought me out and told me not to sign anything that night and to see him in his office the next morning.

In our meeting, I told him why I was leaving. He was shocked. He also said that I was the only sane person in the department. He offered me the music head’s job beginning in September. Stinky would have to work for me.

I took the job, dealt with Stinky and still had the retired music head in the office looking over my shoulder. It was a rough year.

I begged the head of the school to get the retired woman to leave, as it was impossible to move forward with her there. At the end of that year, the retired music head was moved and Stinky resigned six times then took it back six times.

The head of the school fired him.

This set me up for the great few years with Natalie and Jeannette.

I became head of the music program September of 2000-2001. Had I left to join the other organization, where would I be today?