Teacher's joy? Gift of music

The house is in the poorest of neighborhoods, where dreams die young and stress runs high. But every afternoon, when 11-year-old Miranda gets home from school, there is suddenly tranquility, as the soft strains of Bach and Mozart are carried to the streets.

Miranda (not her real name) is one of Diana Belka's most promising piano students. A few years ago, the inner-city sixth-grader could only dream of owning a piano and competing in prestigious contests. Born to drug-addicted parents, Miranda had to move in with her grandparents, who could not afford the luxury of a piano and lessons.

Then she met Diana Belka, a piano teacher who has never appreciated the word "luxury."

Why shouldn't Miranda, or for that matter any child, have the opportunity to take music lessons? asks Diana, 56, a volunteer instructor for MusicLink, a private national foundation that encourages teachers to give free lessons to at least one deserving student.

"Music shouldn't be only for those who can afford it," says Diana, who provides lessons to eight MusicLink students in her Midvale studio. "Music is for everyone. Think of the future generations you can change simply by putting music into one needy child's life."

Hoping to inspire other piano teachers to give of their talent and time, Diana met me for a Free Lunch of soup and salad at Midvale's Bohemian Brewery and Grill.

"There is nothing more rewarding," says Diana, "than seeing a child get excited about music who would otherwise never have had it in her life. It's an incredible joy to help these kids discover their gift."

The daughter of musical parents in Twin Falls, Idaho, Diana began taking piano lessons at age 7 and realized she wanted to make it her life's work while in high school. After graduating from the University of Utah with a degree in music theory, she soon had dozens of students, all of whom had pianos in their homes and doting parents who could afford lessons.

Five years ago, when Diana heard about MusicLink, she quickly signed up, eager to share her passion with those who need it most.

"Music is such an important part of our education, but our music teachers are under siege," she says. "We have these corporate minds who've decided to revamp Utah's education system, and the first thing they do is take out art and music.

"The fact is, kids who study music have better brain function. It teaches them to be prepared and make their best effort. All children deserve to have music in their lives."

To find her MusicLink students, Diana goes to schools with high populations of children living in poverty and asks, "Do you have any students who might be musically gifted?"

She then tracks down old pianos for the kids and fixes them up, allowing families to make music a priority in their lives for the first time.

Comments