It's a new award and on the list of 1,200 nominees from across Canada, one Yorkton resident has been selected as a recipient.
The Royal Conservatory congratulates Mrs. Bernice (Bunny) Pearce, winner of the inaugural Thank A Teacher Award, and recognizes all the teachers nominated for the Canadian pedagogy prize.
Sponsored by the SOCAN Foundation, the Thank A Teacher Award recognizes an outstanding music educator who enriches and inspires students through their ongoing commitment to music education. Nearly 1,200 active and retired teachers were nominated, spanning 11 provinces and territories.
"It has been absolutely inspiring to see the outpouring of past and present students across Canada advocating for the music teachers who made a profound difference in their lives," says Angela Elster, Vice President, Academic, The Royal Conservatory.
"All our nominees are more than teachers; they are also mentors and supporters who inspire creativity and foster a lifelong love of music throughout their communities."
A longtime resident of Yorkton, Pearce was selected because of her dedication to music education in a career spanning over five decades, beginning in her hometown of Saltcoats. Her impact as a vocal and piano teacher has encouraged her students to pursue careers as performers and music educators. She received 15 nominations from students across the country.
"I'm 77 years old. I feel so fortunate to still be able to do what I love to do with music," says Pearce. "It's overwhelming to think that out of all the teachers I have been chosen. It means so much to me. I do what I do for my kids, not for the recognition."
The winning entry was submitted by former student Perry Ehrlich. He wrote: "[Mrs. Pearce] inspired me to be the best I could be; to work hard; to be humble about my successes and to learn from my failures; and to have confidence in life. She also taught me that one of the greatest gifts is to pass on the love of music to others as a vehicle for building self-esteem."
Ehrlich, a partner at a law firm in Richmond, British Columbia, also founded a Vancouver-based summer musical theatre camp.
As the winner of the Thank A Teacher Award, Pearce receives $5,000 courtesy of the SOCAN Foundation. She will be presented with the award on May 13, 2011 at The Royal Conservatory as part of The Promise of Music, a day-long music education symposium for artists, educators, business leaders, and policy makers, emphasizing the critical importance of music to the cognitive, social, and creative development of children and youths.
"As champions of Canadian music and music education in Canada, we congratulate Bunny Pearce on being awarded the inaugural Thank A Teacher Award, as it is a testament to the passion she provokes in her music students," says Stan Meissner, President, the SOCAN Foundation.
Of the nearly 1,200 nominations for the Thank A Teacher Award, the top 100 were reviewed by a jury of Royal Conservatory staff and narrowed to ten finalists. The winner was chosen by a second jury, consisting of Ms. Elster, Mr. Meissner, Dr. Peter Simon, President of The Royal Conservatory, Jane Cutler, President of the Ontario Educational Leadership Centre, Dr. Ed Wasiak, President of the Canadian Music Educators' Association, and Mary Dinn, Program Development Specialist for Music/Fine Arts at the Department of Education of Newfoundland and Labrador.
