I can't remember exactly when I first met Wayne Hill (passed away November 19th, 2017), - Funeral mass held Friday November 24th at Our Lady of Grace Church, Aurora - but I think it was at St. Teresa of Lixseau CHS, at a music meeting arranged then by Laurie Rossi, music consultant with YCDSB. All music teachers were meeting to discuss a new project titled: Super Saturday. Wayne Hill was invited to speak to us and actually help us to organize this event. I was told at this meeting that he was a retired past music educator with many years of service and experience. He was well known and very capable.
I'm going to guess that it was about 15 years ago as I'm in my 15th year teaching at St. Elizabeth CHS. So, followed Wayne's lead and organized this first year of Super Saturday and it did go well. Pat Mannion was one of the music teachers at St. Teresa, so he hosted the event which ran for the next several years. We got t-shirts, did other sporting events, invited a guest conductor, all with beginner grade 9 band students. We were even talking about expanding this project to invite jazz and choirs. But, Wayne only helped us get started the first year at Laurie Rossi's invitation. To be honest, we could have done it without his help because we did have enough experience available. We even got Harknett involved with providing music sheets and folders, and I think we got Cosmo Music involved with other details if memory serves me. We would gather the big band in the cafeteria, of over 130 students representing from all high schools (some high schools did not send students, I guess they did not want to participate). Break-out sessions would occur in sectional rehearsals. Then, we would deliver a concert at the end of the day to parents. Quite a neat project.
Did Wayne facilitate all these ideas? Yes, we worked with his suggestions and of course added our own touches. But, he did give us confidence and encouragement, and direction to save time.
I did not realize then that I would go on with my work at St. Elizabeth and Wayne Hill would find a way to connect. Wayne did his research and realized that our school music program needed some boosting. So, he suggested a new elementary school program that he would organize, teach and deliver to interested students. We worked together a lot initially. We would visit elementary schools associated with St. Elizabeth. He did all the preparation work, but I would help because I knew that our school would benefit from his guidance. This STAR program did get established and our school did benefit with an increase every year of several students auditioning for our RAP music program. Wayne would then extend his help by offering start-up programs, and extra help to audition, and would deliver concerts in our theatre, and we would provide percussion instruments, and I would help with permits, and more. Eventually, he would use graduates of this STAR program to help him deliver concerts and coach the younger students. It was an amazing achievement for him and our school, working in partnership. He brought music into the communities and everyone enjoyed participating. Everyone knew Mr. Hill in our community of schools.
Wayne and I would meet several times during the year at Tim Hortons to discuss ideas and obstacles that we needed to resolve. There are always obstacles - right? Wayne was smart and he found ways to overcome challenges. He was a big man with a BIG heart. He was genuine, the real deal and it showed that he cared about kids.
I remember his desire to explore Catholicism and he asked me to sponsor him. What an honour, and of course I did. I'm going to miss him. I knew that he was not feeling well and reached out to him in late August of this year, but he never replied. I did not realize he was that ill. I saw him last May / June at St. Elizabeth, I believe. He had lost a lot of weight, but he said he felt better. He did spend a lot of time in hospital, but I didn't know until he shared that with me.
We would text and email, and phone one another often. Usually, for the STAR program or for Music Alive. I tried to help him as much as possible every time he reached out to me because I knew that I was really helping myself too, by helping him. Wayne reached out to everyone and embraced him. He treated everyone with dignity and respect. The music community lost a true GIANT.
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