More Info →Guy Donaldson, music career Part 3 - Manawatu Conversations

Description: Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio, 16th April 2024. Part 3 of 5. Was the founding head of music at Awatapu College. Employed in second year of college existence. College’s culture was equality for all. Non streaming. Became Assistant Dean. Left school teaching to focus on piano playing and teaching. Set up his own piano teaching practice mainly after school and Saturday mornings. Marriage collapsed. Abandoned private teaching and became an English teacher at Palmerston North Girls High School. Shifted to Auckland and started a piano teaching practice in Remuera and part time music teacher at Sacred Heart College. Was appointed the vocal trainer for Leonard Bernstein production called Mass and played in the orchestra with the Auckland Symphonia. Returned to Palmerston North and took a position at the teachers college. Music scene in Auckland too big. He was a small cog in a big wheel. Family life suffered because of ambition to succeed in work. Marriage broke up. After an overseas trip came back to Palmerston North Teachers College and worked with Graham Parsons, Morva Croxson, Fleur Stark, Robert Hoskins and Jenny Boyack. Money was available for a very liberal education. University and college training did not prepare upcoming teachers adequately for real life classroom teaching.