Yoshimaru Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 From an article on The Guardian website interviewing schoolteachers who have taught famous musicians. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/apr/25/inspirational-music-teachers 'Muse? I knew them when they were called Gothic Plague' Name Jill Bird Job Music teacher, formerly of Teignmouth community college, Devon Pupils, 1990-1994 Matt Bellamy, Dom Howard, Chris Wolstenholme, of Muse When I started at Teignmouth in the summer of 1990, Matt and Dom had been there six months. I remember hearing Matt playing guitar at an end-of-term concert, and thinking: "Bloody hell, he's only 12!" He played like a grown-up. By year nine, Chris had joined Matt and Dom in their band. At one point they were called Gothic Plague. Other kids would be having a laugh with their guitars, but they were so committed, so determined, so ready. We had no money in the school, either. It was awful, really: one bass guitar working if we were lucky, a shoebox cassette player, a crappy drumkit, no decent rooms. But they didn't care. They'd just say: "Miss, can we rehearse, can we rehearse?" Luckily, the music department was in an old building 200 metres from the main school, so they could make as much noise as they wanted. That was one of those strange quirks of fate that changed things for them. Matt and Dom were in an incredibly creative class. They all fed off each other. You only get that kind of thing once or twice in a lifetime. With a normal class, if I'd put something on that wasn't heavy metal, they'd moan. With them, I'd put on Chopin or Steve Reich, and they'd get into it. There was a classical oboist in the class, too; it all made for a really receptive atmosphere. I hear that openness in Muse's music still. I often think how different things could have been if they'd come along in a different year. The fact they had to go all the way to Exeter to see gigs was important, too: there was nothing on locally, so they had to make their own entertainment. The boys were never satisfied with their compositions, though. Most kids at 14 or 15 get them in and think: "Thank God for that." Not with them; they always wanted to keep improving them, Chris particularly. What he was doing with his bass 16 years ago was genuinely pushing boundaries. I'd give him top marks and say: "Chris, this is already brilliant. I can't give you a better mark." He'd be: "But it's not right." To have such drive at that age was extraordinary. I saved up for a multitrack tape recorder. It was for the school – but really it was for them, because I knew the equipment we had was limiting. I know I shouldn't have, but I let them take it home at weekends, too. I didn't know how it worked either, so we were learning together. That encouragement is so important for young people, and I still see that now at the Saturday Music School in Totnes where I work. It gives them such joy, something to strive for. To see the boys become a huge band was really moving, especially when they came back for their homecoming gig in Teignmouth last autumn. I was one of the first people to buy tickets, but the boys got in touch, and said they had put some aside for me. In the town that night, I saw loads of kids I'd taught but hadn't seen for 10 years. They were saying: "Isn't it great, Miss, isn't it great?" It was and it still is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melon Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 That was really interesting, thank you for posting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrotie Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 That's lovely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the aurora Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 Aww. I liked that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creeper McSexyPants Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 Cute Stubborn Chris! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tesseract Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 Thanks for the great post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weird cOokie Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 aww thanks for posting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleasure Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 Such a nice and lovely article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasha_ Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 Aww, that's lovely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nonam26 Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 Very, very interesting. The bit about Alex Turner as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frozenpoetry Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 sh sounds like such a wonderful teacher,and such a sweet woman theres just too few people like that in the world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ulilku Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 nice article, thanks for posting! i remember muse mentioned about this teacher in one of their interviews that she was the only teacher that encouraged them to practice their music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iminvincible Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 i can't say anything except awww lovely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoanaBliss Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 nice Miss Bird Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhinestone Eyes Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 Thanks for posting, I wish there was more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarrieB Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 Nice article. Thanks for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bee03 Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 That's a great little piece! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furygirl Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 Sweet Miss Bird! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becks Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 Aww! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scifigeekgirl Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 From an article on The Guardian website interviewing schoolteachers who have taught famous musicians. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/apr/25/inspirational-music-teachers That. Is. Lovely. Miss Bird is a fantastic woman without whom we would have a Museless World. I know - unthinkable! Can we nominate her for a knighthood or something? She sounds like a brilliant teacher...I now have an image of Muse as kids bouncing up and down "please Miss, please Miss, aw Miss go on let us" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becks Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 That. Is. Lovely. Miss Bird is a fantastic woman without whom we would have a Museless World. I know - unthinkable! Can we nominate her for a knighthood or something? She sounds like a brilliant teacher...I now have an image of Muse as kids bouncing up and down "please Miss, please Miss, aw Miss go on let us" Knighthood? Maybe a Dame. Aw. I smile every time I think about this article. It's so cute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukester911 Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 Chris particularly. What he was doing with his bass 16 years ago was genuinely pushing boundaries. I smell bull right there... rose tinted spectacle perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdxfcg_ersxdtcfh Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 AWHZ!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mizutsu Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 So cute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Microfuzz Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 I smell bull right there... rose tinted spectacle perhaps? N'aww, well Matt doesn't come up with all of the basslines himself surely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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