Music teacher still going strong after four decades

While Layton has taught adults in the past, she particularly likes teaching youth. Some come to her as young as five years old and stay with her until they turn 18.

“It’s like anything. You start with the basics and you just keep building. You also develop interpersonal relationships and that’s what’s important; that’s the most precious part of it,” she explained.

“What they can do by Grade 12 absolutely amazes me. They outperform me like you wouldn’t believe. They just make amazing arrangements.”

Layton believes kids who do music have an advantage over those who don’t. She noted it has been proven to affect the brain, and learning music gives people a certain kind of resilience.

“Practicing isn’t fun. There are times when you are frustrated, but they learn to keep going and then come out with a finished product at the end that they can be proud of. I think that is a life lesson,” Layton remarked.

“My kids have told me that. For example, I make them do festival every year, which is an amazing performance. They say when they get to university and they have to do big projects and do a presentation, it’s just another festival. They get practice all the way through.”

Layton first became interested in teaching arranged music when she was homeschooling her own children in Missinipe. They were taught by Marilyn Neumann, who was trained in a unique way of teaching it. Layton started learning from Neumann and eventually she started teaching students of her own.

With Layton now in her senior years, she worries about the future of piano in the tri-community.

“We have gotten to a point in this town where there are no music teachers. There’s another lady who has a couple of students, but basically I am the only adult music teacher in town,” she said.

“I really worry because I will never be able to retire because there is nobody else. This town used to have so much, but we don’t anymore and I worry about that a lot.”

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

by Derek Cornet

Music teacher still going strong after four decades

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