I think the most important quality in a music teacher, is an engaging personality that will give a young performer confidence.

We had embarrassingly awful music at church until about 2005, when we on the parish council decided to do a nationwide search for a good music director. We interviewed ten applicants, from Florida to California. They were all competent musicians, but we fell in love with a vivacious woman who lived just 75 miles from us. And then she did her audition, we hired her fight away. Jean's been with us 12 years now, and we still love her.

I think that her secret weapon, is that she flirts. She flirts with 9-yr-old girls in the children's choir, and she flirts with old men like me in the adult choir. And we're all mesmerized and all think she's our best friend and biggest fan, so we'll all do anything she wants.

It's most noticeable with the 9-yr-old girls, though. They sing with confidence, enthusiasm, and real beauty. Heck, even some 6-yr-old singers sound terrific under Jean's direction. Jean formed a community children's choir with up to 95 members. They sound terrific, and they're so proud of themselves.

-Joe-