I just stumbled onto the rest of my life – Ms. Lois Jensen

Music Teacher Wanted, Call Mr. Carnaghi

That was the ad in the Los Angeles Times I answered in 1969.  I’d just graduated from college in June and had headed to LA to be a singer.  Instead, I was working in a crummy dress shop selling crummy dresses. So, I interviewed for the job,  watched a class, took a test  and was totally hooked.  Little did I know that I just stumbled onto the rest of my life.

I went to my first training at the Holiday Inn.  I was late.  (I’d put my purse on the top of my car, driven away and had to drive to the valley to retrieve it from a kind stranger).  When I arrived for the opening dinner there was a long table of teacher candidates from all over the country.  I was the only local girl (and yes, they were all girls under 30. You could require that back then!).

Our classes met in a  conference room with Mr. Tominaga and Mr. Dietzer, who were at the front smoking (!) and teaching us this amazing new program.  It’s been many years and many seminars later and I am still hooked.  Although the course has continuously been upgraded and improved, the basic premise has not changed:  early childhood is the place to be if you want to create a musician for life.  Even if a child can’t remember me as their teacher, they can never forget the ear training I gave them.

Which brings me to my job next week.  12 brand new teachers will be introduced to the Yamaha Music Education System and I get to be there to share my experience, expertise and continuing enthusiasm for the program.   And the added bonus is getting to reconnect with my wonderful, lifelong Yamaha friends.  I’ll miss being here with my sweet students, but I will come back energized and re-inspired, eager  to share my own joy of music with them.