Teacher

Born in Toronto, I took my piano ARCT exam at 17, gaining the 2nd-highest marks in Canada. My teacher, Earle Moss, wanted me to become a concert pianist. Comparing myself to Glenn Gould, however, who was one year younger, I felt I was not good enough. Instead, I took a Mus.Bac. degree in School Music at the U. of T., then studied composition for two more years, selling records on the side.

Discovering the Waldorf Schools, started by Rudolf Steiner in 1919, I felt I had found a worthy profession. With two friends, in 1956 I went to New York to train as a Waldorf teacher, then continued training in England. After a year teaching English in Germany, I returned to England for three more years, teaching art and Bothmer Gymnastics, and playing piano for eurythmy classes.

On getting married, I returned to Toronto in 1963, and for 5 years, taught piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto, and keyboard harmony in the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto, becoming an examiner in both. On the side, giving five public lectures on Waldorf education kick-started our campaign to found the first Waldorf School in Canada, which succeeded in opening the Toronto Waldorf School in 1968. (There are now over 1400 Waldorf Schools worldwide, the fastest-growing independent-school movement in the world.)

At this point, influenced strongly by my wife, (also a pianist), we joined the Camphill Movement, which works, on similar principles, with the mentally handicapped. With our growing family, I moved to Pennsylvania, where we joined a Camphill Special School and community, as house-parents to a group of such children. This involved all sorts of activities, only partly including teaching and music therapy, as we integrated into the community. After 7 years there, we moved to South Africa, my wife’s birthplace, to join another Camphill Village doing similar work with mentally challenged adults.

In 1982, after an amicable separation, I moved back to America, to play piano for the Eurythmy School in Spring Valley, N.Y. for a year. In 1983, I returned to Toronto to stay.

In the years since, I have done many things. For 12 years, I played organ in an Anglican church. For 24 years, I taught piano at the Toronto Waldorf School, played for eurythmy classes, and for a while led a community choir. I have also given occasional concerts, recorded three CD’s—two of relaxing improvisations and one of Chopin –and published a substantial book, the fruit of 40 years of work (off and on)—“The Spiritual Basis of Musical Harmony”.

Now semi-retired, I still take pleasure in teaching a few piano students in my apartment/studio.