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David Kirkham
"I can't imagine anything more valuable in a young person's life than a good teacher."
—Jann Arden, singer and songwriter
Jann Arden has fond memories of her early years in school. The Alberta singer and songwriter grew up in Springbank, west of Calgary. After a rocky start in Grade 1, Arden says she blossomed in Grade 2. "I got Mrs. McCrae, she saved me. She was totally into arts and crafts. She really liked me. I found out very early what it's like when people nurture you and encourage you, how much easier it is to learn." Arden says McCrae made her feel she was worth something, a feeling she has carried with her all her life. "I've never forgot her. I still have this clay Eskimo thing I did in her class. I was so proud of that. I have it at my parent's house. I remember her patting my shoulder and saying, `That is just great. You could really be an artist.' I just thought . . . wow! She made me feel like I could do anything. And I did."
McCrae also encouraged Arden to audition for the school play. "We built a big papier-mâché whale. I was Jiminey Cricket in Pinocchio. I had a couple of songs to sing and we got eaten by the whale. [McCrae] was just great. I can picture her face as clear as a bell. She was so nice. The kids just loved her."
Another teacher Arden says made a difference in her life was Judy Humphries, who taught Grades 4 and 5. It was here that Arden got her first taste of music long before she had any interest in singing. "She used to have me stand up in front of the class and sing to everybody and say, `That's how I want you to sing it.' I remember singing Snowbird. I remember telling Anne Murray that story and she said, `Don't tell me that Jann, my God! How old do you think I am?" Arden says it was clear her music teacher liked her job, liked teaching kids and was creative to boot.
Arden places a great value on teaching. "I can't imagine anything more valuable in a young person's life than a good teacher. I think they're grotesquely underpaid. There's not enough of them in this province." In fact, if Arden hadn't become a singer, she would have been a teacher. "I think I would have been a really great teacher. I like kids, I like communicating, I like sharing ideas and knowledge." Arden believes in the old adage, you get out of something as much as you put into it. She says she didn't get a lot out of high school. However, when she answers letters from young fans, she tells them to work hard in school and get a good education. The Grammy award winner admits, "I don't even know how to read music. I wish I did."
Arden places a huge value on the school system. "I think [the government] needs to throw more money at it. I think it's a system equal to health care in this country. It's the very foundation of our country. It's as important as government and democracy. It gives people the tools to carry on, to instil in people that their ideas are valuable and that their opinions are valuable."
Photo by Reisig & Taylor
