It was 1978. A first year music teacher in Langley BC was making his own way.  An old story now in 2012 , but a story that deserves a retelling. We need more innovative music educators willing to take risks.

 “I knew virtually nothing about conventional music education, and didn’t know how to teach singing. Above all, I knew nothing of what children’s music was supposed to be. But the kids had a grasp of what they liked: emotion, drama, and making music as a group. Whether the results were good, bad, in tune or out was no big deal — they had élan. This was not the way music was traditionally taught. But then I never liked conventional ‘children’s music,’ which is condescending and ignores the reality of children’s lives, which can be dark and scary. These children hated ‘cute.’ They cherished songs that evoked loneliness and sadness.” – Hans Fenger, Langley music supervisor/arranger