Jonathan Teghtmeyer
Teacher Colin Oberst may not be a household name yet, but his musical score just scored with hockey fans across Canada.
"Canadian Gold," written by the Edmonton teacher, was chosen by online voters from almost 15,000 entries in the Hockey Night in Canada theme song competition.
Oberst, a teacher at Edmonton’s Holy Family School, received a $100,000 cash award live on Hockey Night in Canada. He will receive half of all future royalties for the song; the other half will go to minor league hockey. And he has already received more musical offers, including the opportunity to compose the theme song for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Oberst submitted five songs for the competition, which is not the first competition of this kind that he’s won—he also wrote the theme song for Edmonton Catholic Schools and composed songs for seven of the district’s schools. "All the teachers that called to congratulate me referred to the Edmonton Catholic song and said they’re not surprised I won."
The décor in Oberst’s classroom combines two of his passions—hockey and music. Across the back windows of his classroom hang Oilers flags, pictures and posters, and the win, loss, regulation tie and point holders above the blackboard await the results of Sunday night’s game. Oberst’s guitar stands beside his desk, waiting to be strummed. Of course his other passion—teaching—is also evident. "Being in the classroom is a calling; it’s a vocation," says Oberst. Despite his newfound opportunity, success, fame and fortune, Oberst happily points out that he will continue teaching.
Oberst uses his enthusiasm for hockey and music to engage and entertain his students. "I always have my instruments in the classroom," says Oberst. "If the students have difficulty, I say, ‘Let’s make a song about it so we can remember it.’"
His students sing songs every morning, including the national anthem and "Happy Birthday." He uses music to teach math, and when it comes time for Halloween stories, out comes the synthesizer for sound effects and voice distortion.
Oberst’s creative teaching strategies have created memorable moments for his students. "If you talk to any of my former students, I’m the music guy." Many of his past students have sought him out since he won the competition. "All because of music," he says. "I’m hearing from students who are pursuing the arts who say, ‘You’ve always been an influence.’"
Teaching and music are the perfect duet. "Teaching is the ideal profession for a musician," says Oberst, explaining how he integrates his love of music with his calling while also performing in a band and entering music contests on the side.
Oberst hopes that his experience will motivate his students further. "I’ve always used music to inspire my students. Now I tell them that if you put your mind to it and truly believe it, you can accomplish anything."
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