• Home
• News
• Archive
• About
• Calendar
• Directory
• Advertisers
• Contact Us

SCHOOL JOURNAL

Teacher Plays His Final Songs at Emery Secondary

David Mills
Connection Staff
January 2008

George Spencer is playing his swan song at Emery

Secondary School.

After 20 years of teaching music in Emeryville, Spencer

will retire when the school year ends in June.

Spencer’s departure will leave more than just a vacancy

on Emery Secondary’s teaching staff . It will create a gap

between students and classroom that will be diffi cult to

replace.

During the past two decades, Spencer has been the

“music man” at Emery Secondary. He has not only taught

music classes, he has overseen the school’s jazz band. He

has encouraged the district’s teen-agers and engaged them

through horns, woodwinds, percussion and brass.

“Th e creative process is very important in the development

of students,” Spencer says. “I believe in educating

the entire student.”

Over the years, hundreds of young people have been

guided by Spencer. Many probably would have quit

school if they didn’t have music classes or the jazz band to

look forward to.

“In many cases, music was the reason they stayed

in school,” Spencer says. “I have seen some kids in my

classes who were marginal and they ended up with scholarships

to college.”

Leviticus Bull is typical of the students who praise

Spencer. He has been attending Spencer’s classes since 7th

grade. He said Spencer not only taught him how to play

an instrument, he also taught the youngster patience and

a love of music.

Bull is now a senior at Emery Secondary, plays drums

in the jazz band and is on track to attend a major university

next fall.

“Mr. Spencer is one of the best dudes in the whole

world,” says Bull. “He’s like a father to me.”

Spencer makes sure his students’ skills are displayed

in public and they become accustomed to playing

before an audience. A typical outing occurred on November

30th, when 12 of the jazz band’s 13 members

played at the Salvation Army’s annual bell ringing in

San Francisco. Spencer fi lled in on trumpet for the one

band member who couldn’t make it.

Th e music teacher said he took the students to San

Francisco so they could be exposed to performing in

front of people they didn’t know.

“It’s diff erent than hearing your parents say you did

a good job,” he says.

Spencer also wanted people in San Francisco to see a

positive image of the Emery School District.

“The people in San Francisco got a chance to see

what we’re doing in Emeryville,” he said.

Music has always been a part of Spencer’s life. He

performed professionally for 15 years before he began

teaching. He spent fi ve years in the Oakland schools

before coming to Emeryville two decades ago.

Even though he’s retiring in June, Spencer plans to

stay busy.

He’ll continue to perform with professional bands

and he will remain as choir director at his church. He

also plans to spend a little more time on his boat.

Now, that’s leaving on a good note.

David Mills is a writer for Th e Emeryville Connection. If you have a

question or comment, please contact him at ecocnews@gmail.com