For 30 years Debbie Hudson has been sharing her passion of music with children in North Bay area schools.
She was honoured by her peers and her students in her final day at E.T. Carmichael as she officially retired today during a ceremony in the school gymnasium.
The friendly and approachable music elementary school teacher is known for getting disinterested students interested in music and song.
“What I love is when you see somebody who is in the far back corner at the beginning of the year and they kind of whittle their way up and the next thing you know they are putting their hand up saying ‘can I play this,’ or ‘can I play that,’” said Hudson.
E.T. Carmichael Principal Lisa Collins says Hudson brings out the love of music in everybody she teaches.
“She has a true gift of fostering the love of music in students and all the students she teaches, she just brings that out in them and she also fosters their confidence and it’s just wonderful to see. So it’s amazing to have someone so gifted and talented on staff and it’s going to be a true loss to our staff for sure,” said Collins shortly after she presented a bouquet of flowers to Hudson in front of the staff and students.
What is also sad about the retirement of Hudson, is that she is one of only a handful of music teachers left in elementary schools in the area.
Despite her retirement, Hudson says she will continue to be involved in music including continuing her role on the board of the North Bay Symphony.
“One of our focusses (at the symphony) is trying to promote music education in the elementary schools because once they sort of get into it and they get involved, it is just going to carry on through to intermediate and hopefully on to high school,” said Hudson.
“I think as long as they have a program that starts in kindergarten and can continue through, it’s just natural and normal to sing and to dance and to move to music, it’s not such a big, scary deal after all.”
