Franklin music teachers honoured for decades of service

Sapeer Mayron Reporter from Franklin County News

Three teachers at the New Zealand Modern School of Music Counties-Coromandel have been honoured for their decades of service to music students across Franklin.

Jane Jeffs started teaching piano, keyboard and music theory in 1982, the same year she got married. 40 years later, she is still hooked on the joy teaching music brings her students, she said.

She has taught at nine schools all over the region, and even taught multiple generations of the same families during the last four decades.

Lisa Adams has been teaching piano, keyboard and guitar for 35 years, and Jayne Woodham, has taught guitar for 25 years. Some of her students have gone on to become guitar teachers themselves.

The music school held a special concert in their honour at the Franklin Arts Centre on Saturday May 21, where the teachers also performed outside the gallery.

“I have always thought of Music Teaching as a job you should leave if you no longer enjoy anymore, as it is portrayed in your teaching,” Adams said.

“It has not always been plain sailing, but the positives have outweighed the negatives and after 35 years I can still say I enjoy teaching my pupils each week.”