TWO of Horsham Music Academy’s much loved music teachers will bid farewell after years of coaching hundreds of people.
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Lee Crammond and Lee McDonald will finish up at the end of the year.
Mrs Crammond started teaching when the academy started in 1988 teaching music and movement lessons with younger children.
She now teaches piano lessons up to grade seven.
Mrs Crammond said she had always wanted to teach.
“I knew at seven I wanted to be a teacher,” she said.
“I love children and I love teaching.”
She said the ability to mentor young people was the best part of her job.
“It’s been really heart-warming to embrace their talent, nurture it and help them to grow,” she said.
“I find young people so inspiring – I love being around them.
“It’s been a great privilege and very humbling.”
Mrs Crammond said she always came into a lesson with a positive attitude.
“My mother died just before I started teaching,” she said.
“She said to me, ‘you make sure you are nice to everyone, you might be the only person that has been nice to them all day’.
“I’m a really strict but fair teacher.
“I hope I instilled good values in the children.”
Mrs Crammond said she taught hundreds of students over the years.
“The lovely thing is they all still say hello to me up the street,” she said.
“Some of the kids I taught have sent their kids to learn.
“It’s been the greatest joy – giving children the confidence they can do anything.”
Mrs Crammond said her colleagues at the academy had also made her career a positive experience.
“It was fun being surrounded by like-minded people,” she said.
“It’s been a wonderful career – an inspiring, positive and supportive experience.”
Mrs Crammond said her career was also well supported by her husband Peter.
“Peter has been outstanding,” she said.
“He’s been to so many concerts and moved so many pianos.”
Mrs Crammond said she would use her spare time to concentrate on her other passions.
“I love stitching, I love the garden and I love volunteering,” she said.
“I still want to be available when another teach is sick or absent.”
Mrs Crammond said her colleague and fellow retiring teacher Lea McDonald had been a valuable asset to the academy.
“She learnt her theory at the academy, and took like a duck to water,” she said.
“She has been just an outstanding teacher.”
Horsham Music Academy lessons will wrap up for the year next month.