I've never forgotten you and I never will.

LaDona Harrell Martin

When I was in eighth grade and about to enter high school, my class was visited by members of the high school chorus. They encouraged us to add chorus to the list of classes we would take, and since I loved music and had been very active in band, I did. That's how I met Mrs. Martin (or "Martin," as she preferred to be called).

"Martin" (a former child star on the radio and P.E. teacher, as well as a wonderful chorus teacher and musician) changed my life forever. Why? – Because she not only taught me to sing as part of the chorus and various vocal ensembles, but also helped me build loads of confidence in myself and in my creative abilities during those always-stressful years of post-adolescence. In a very short period of time, I came to view her as much more than a teacher: she became a continuing inspiration, role model, and mother figure for me. I admired her so much, in fact, that I decided to become a choral music teacher myself—and it doesn't matter that that didn't work out for me (How could it? I was trying to become her, which was of course impossible) because my high regard for her has lasted to this day.

The photo you see here is the most recent one I have of "Martin." Though the photo was taken at least 20 years after she was my teacher, it still shows something of her perky, energetic nature, I think. It will, sadly, also be the last photo I have of this beloved teacher: she passed away in mid-July of this year.