Bobby McFerrin’s mom was my professor.

I read an article today by

Scot Butwell https://readmedium.com/the-teacher-who-lit-my-fire-b2e860fa990d

And it got me to thinking of what teacher had challenged me or to use Scot’s wording “Lit my fire”. It HAS to be Mrs. McFerrin (Bobby McFerrin’s mom. Of “Don’t worry be happy🎶” fame).

I was in my early 30’s and married and without kids yet and living in SoCal. I had quit a very stressful job (at the hubs insistence) and took a year off.

After I came back to Jesus in the early 80’s I had written a few simple worship tunes that had been used at a nearby church so I decided music classes were something I was interested in pursuing.

Up until this time my father had put my songs into notation for me and I felt it was time for me to learn how to do that for myself. So Beginning Music Theory was the class I chose and she was the professor at the local junior college that taught the class.

It was not an easy class as to me music notation is very mathematical and I stunk at math.

I had that Beginning Theory class with Mrs McFerrin as well as Beginning Vocal 1 and another class and they all required Lab classes and/or performances.

She was amazing and such a wonderful teacher. She had been a huge opera star in NYC and yet she didn’t Lord it over us or show off.

I always offered to sing first to get it over with on performance days. She told me two things. Your breathing is shallow and yet you look so nice.

Once she told me that was the fastest rendition of “I attempt at love sickness to fly” that she’d Ever heard and That I needed to stop rushing the accompanist. It made everyone laugh including the accompanist.

She lit the fire underneath me and for the next session I took MUSIC THEORY 1. Not just “beginning theory” this was the REAL THING. This was the BIG leagues. She was tough and challenging and I was so much older than the other students that I sort of stuck out and I believe she took me under her wing. She knew I wasn’t there to mess around or dabble in music. That I had a goal. Most of the people in her classes were right out of high school and here I was 31 years old.

I also took beginning jazz vocal styling and that was hard but fun.

I took “Electronic Music” that was taught by a younger male teacher and he had told us someday we won’t need musicians because it will all be electronic.

I left and dropped his class. That’s what my 31 year old self did instead Of flipping the bird at him.

I had one gal teacher (vocal styling) that was the exact opposite of Mrs McFerrin and she seemed pompous to me with all she’d done (commercials etc) but she told me that if she could light a fire under me I could be someone worth listening to when I sang. Say what.

She needed to take a lesson from the pro Mrs McFerrin in my book. Experience. Grace. Mastery. Etc

Thank you Scot Butwell for suggesting this topic.

It’s been a kick for me to look back at ages ago. Teachers are the best.

Thank you for reading.

Photo my own. From FJC

Lu