Interview with my influential teacher. Me: What lead you to become a teacher? Holowitz: Well… It was sort of being in the right place at the right time. I graduated from teachers college, and this job opened at A.B. Lucas, and I got a phone call, I did the application and they offered me the job. So it seemed pretty stupid not to take it. I was quite happy being a teacher, I didn’t need to be a teacher, if something else came up at that time I probably would have taken it. But at that time teaching was a very stable lucrative profession. Which I wouldn’t say anymore, not very stable profession at all. It’s become contract work, like its really hard to be teaching full time. Which is a real drag. I don’t think it is a good thing. It is not as good a profession as when I started. It’s a lot of contract, lot of hoops you have to jump through for the board. None of that stuff used to be. Part of the problem is the board is too big. When I started it was a London board, locally based very very good, I thought the London board was really really exceptional. So yeah it was kinda the right place at the right time. I had actually deferred my year of teachers college, cause I had a job playing at Huron college, so I was all set to go to teachers college then this job at Huron came up, so I took that because that was kind of interesting. But then you know, that was just a year contract, and then I went to teachers college, that was fun. I had a good time and, then really the job came open. You know I interviewed got it, in 88 and been here ever since. So it wasn’t that conscious or deliberate or anything, it was sort of being the right place at the right time. Me: For you what is the most important thing about teaching? Music related or teaching in general? Holowitz: The most important thing is to be able to connect with the students. Because if you cant connect with the student its nothings going to happen. So you know I am quite comfortable with a class of a variety of ability. Because its not so much that you have to do this, but you have to bring the student along from point a to point b or a better point a. So you have to be able to relate to the student. You have to show why its worthwhile, why they should invest some energy in what you are doing, and you want to bring them along, whatever be flexible right. Not everyone has to play this thing at this tempo, because that doesn’t make sense for instruments, every instrument is different right? And whats easy for one instrument is quite challenging for another. Depending on peoples musical background, they are either going to get it one way or another or not right? So I have to be able to connect with the students. Me: What do you wish for most from or for your students. Holowitz: Oh that they like music, that they have a good time. And I think in order to have a good time you have to play half decently. Cause if it sounds awful who wants to play? So if you want to have a good time, have fun with music, enjoy music, then part of that is being able to play half decently, because if you play awful, nobody has a good time. Even the good people get really sick of playing. So that’s sort of it. Me: What has been your greatest accomplishment as a teacher? Do you have a few moments that specifically stand out? Holowitz: Well I think being able to preserve the music program here. You know because a lot of schools have not been successful with keeping a full music program going. And particularity the vocal is a bit of a tough sell, you know not everybody wants to do the vocal, and so the choirs been really good, and that’s been a unique feature of the school, and I am glad we have been able to keep it going. But you know in general the band is still healthy, in a lot of schools, they are down to 30, 40, people we still have almost 90 kids in the intermediate band, and almost 70 kids in senior band so you know between Mr. Clarke beforehand, and Mr. Stevenson we have been able to keep going. Me: What were some of your goals after you graduated teacher college, and have they changed over your time as a teacher? Holowitz: I cant remember my goals from then, its too long ago. They probably have changed. I mean my goal was to be a good teacher. So yeah its changed because I am a good teacher, I mean I am a good teacher because I have done it a long time. Not because of anything special but after you do something for 28 years, and invest the time and energy in doing it, you either get good or you quit. So I haven’t quit, so I am a good teacher. I am very confident, I know what I do works, and so maybe the good thing is I have achieved a goal. You know you want to do the job well. In the first few years from what I remember It was a huge learning curve. Like it was tons of preparation for the first 10 years. Constant, because you don’t have anything, you don’t have any resources, you don’t know the repertoire, I mean honestly the job is easier now because its all in my head. I can teach any course, any time, any day. I’ve got it, because I have done it before. So in some senses the job has gotten easier but as you get older you have a little less energy, a little more tired. Me: What do you believe is your greatest strength as a teacher? Holowitz: I know the subject material. So I can play the piano well, I know the theory, I know the history, I know it well. So I can react in the moment, and be spontaneous. You can teach as needed, as opposed to a lesson plan, I never follow a lesson plan they are stupid. I mean they are probably good when you begin gives you a point of organization, but the problem of the lesson plan is you teach to the lesson plan, whether the kids need it or not. So its like, well I got to follow my lesson, yeah maybe but what if that’s not what the class needs to do. So if you know your subject, you can react to what the class needs to do. Why would you waist their time. Me: Would you be willing to a weakness as a teacher? Holowitz: Flute fingerings. Me: haha not horn fingerings? Holowitz: No I can make sense of the horn fingerings. Flute makes no sense to me. I think I have dyslexia with the flute. I mean for 20 years I have been trying to memorize flute fingerings, I don’t have them. Makes no sense to me that instrument. Me: Are you able to give students opportunities for creative thinking? Holowitz: Well I mean I teach mostly grade 9’s right? So I mean really you can talk about creativity but if you don’t have the technical tools, the creativity is pretty pointless. So yeah I mean there is creativity in interpretation, and tempo, and style, and stuff, but mostly at the grade 9 level you are developing skills. Cause without the skills you can’t be creative. So you know we do little compositions and stuff, some students excel in that. But generally I find its mostly just building skills, at this stage. In the vocal I mean when we do those things by ear, and groups are putting stuff together that’s kind of creative, and they are putting input in repertoire. I mean you’re not going to sit around a choir create its own song, what a waste of time that is. Like how are you going to do that? Nobody does that for real, very few unless you are a rock band and you are jamming for days on end in a garage. But when you only have 40 minutes or 70 minutes it’s a waste of time, to me. That’s just my opinion. The creativity is in the performance I think. Me: How do you teach the elements of music? Holowitz: Pitch, sound articulations what do you mean by that? I remember that vaguely from teachers college. The elements of music and the taxonomy of education. I mean its kind of alright when you are starting, to think that way cause it gives you something to hang onto. But really it becomes much more organic after a while. I mean I think all of that stuff is good to learn and to have so you know, your first couple years in front of a class and your like, oh what do I do? Well at least you have something to fall back on, oh yeah I will fix the notes, okay now I will fix the rhythm. But really, real music doesn’t work that way its much more organic and multilevel. I mean you just teach it by teaching music. You are teaching music so people get it. And if they don’t get it some never will. Then the good ones are always the tough ones. All of the Pearson kids who have been playing for a hundred years. Those ones are the trick because you know you can’t let them sort of blow the class away. But you need to kind of keep them interested and motivated, and give them some space. Me: Thank you very much!
Stephen Holowitz has taught me 7 different courses throughout my high school education. I started out in grade 9 in his music class and in the band. Right from the start he seemed like a real teacher who actually cared about you, and wanted you to succeed. I ended up next year in his band, music class, and vocal class all in the same year. I continued on with his vocal program for the next two years after that. He has been a teacher I have had respect for for most of my time as a student at Lucas. We had our moments of frustration with each other but we were able to make it through. He has continually encouraged me to go into something music related and constantly pushed me to be my best self. Often pushing me past my boundaries where I learned to try out new things. Every year with his students he starts off saying he has more teaching experience than we have been alive. This is a constant many of the alumni remember fondly. He also plays the same piece every year with his band. In my graduating year our grade demanded to be able to perform it one last time with him conducting us. Mr. Holowitz has many amiable qualities but one of his greatest is his love to work with students. He always tries to keep up with today's music and technology and this also brings many of us great amusement. From my memory the time he looked most proud was when he left his flip phone behind, got an iPhone, and downloaded an app so he could see where specific boats were sailing to. Mr. Holowitz gave us a great variety of music, far too often it was in a language we were unable to pronounce. He even gave us a piece where it was random words spoken in a cool rhythm. He also gave us a piece where we learned to count to 8. By far he has been my favourite teacher and his impact on me has made a huge change in my life. In the interview you get to see a small glimpse of who he is. He may be a bit proud but truly the impact he has made on his students is profound. His style of teaching, allowing things to be organic is an approach I hope to one day be able to make. He even has rapped for a specific few students once. He is truly fantastic.
Student Interviews Jayden and Alexa This interview to begin with might seem a bit goofy. Us three have been really close friends for a while and neither of them continued with music after elementary school. We all attended church and music plays a large role in the church and so I was hoping for a perspective from that angle. They also both play guitar and Jayden has often spontaneously starts making his own lyircs. There is a lot in this recording I can discuss but to me what I thought was really important was when they talked about how they both did not like taking lessons, wished they could go back and appreciate them more, and did not like the way they were taught. I know I had heard this many times but it still seems weird to me. I was never able to have lessons until I was almost finished high school and I also payed for part of them. I find it so interesting that so many people say that as a kid they didn't like taking lessons, but they wish they could go back and work harder/do better. Alexa had mentioned how she didn't like the songs that she was forced to play, she even mentioned to her teacher a couple she wanted to play. Based on what she said he even tried to learn them but he had too many students and found it difficult to find time to learn them. From this I am just happy that the teacher made an effort for the student to do something they wanted. In the end it is sad that it didn't work out though. For Jayden he said he went to his lessons every week and that he almost tried his best not to learn. I know him personally and I think I can understand where he is coming from. If I myself was forced to go to lessons every week then I probably would also rebel in a similar manner. I wonder if it is largely the style of teaching or that it wasn't introduced in a way that didn't seem forced. For me personally I think I can relate this to swimming lessons. I used to hate going to them and my mother forced me to go every week. I would always yell about how much I hated them. But once I got there we would usually start with a game or something fun, and then we would learn some technique like proper way to position your body and how to move your arms best, and then at the end of everyday we would finish with another game. I still hated going every week but once I got there I really enjoyed it. I wonder if it is possible to incorporate something similar to classical lessons. I have heard of many teachers now teaching songs from Star Wars or pop music into their lessons. But generally it is just that style. I personally would like to try starting out with maybe a quick learn a song(maybe dictate it). Go to technique, learn the classical piece and end with a more modern or fun piece. I would like to see if this makes a difference in if the student will want to continue learning or not.