Sherry Gordon

Last Thursday I got the terrible news that Sherry Gordon had passed away. She came into my life when I was a bratty little 3rd grader. Normally you couldn't start the string program at the elementary schools until you were in 4th grade but because I had been taking lesson since 2nd grade Mrs Gordon let me start early. If you haven't guessed yet she was my violin teacher at Field Elem and let me just say I hated her. I am sure on several occasions I came home saying I wish she had died or I hated her. I can remember getting in trouble everytime I went to strings but not because I didn't know the music or hadn't practiced, it was because I couldn't keep my mouth shut or I was playing my violin while she was talking. I remember 1 time I was in 5th grade and we had a concert at night and we would wait in the teachers lounge before we went on stage. I was standing by the door and she came in to tell us what we were going to be doing and I had heard it before ( I was PRO by then) so I continued to silently play a song that we were playing that night Mrs Gordon didn't ask me to stop she just took my bow away and sadly I didn't learn to fast because that was not the only time I had my violin taken away :( Once I got to 6th grade I started to love her and she helped me so much with my transition to junior high.
It was a little after I started junior high that Sherry became my private violin teacher as well as my sister Amanda. She did such a great job at dealing with us. It is hard when 2 sisters play the same instrument because you tend to compete and sherry would have none of that. The Funny thing is that my dad actually started fixing her car so in high school my parents barely paid for lessons because they switched lessons for my dad fixing her car. So I am sure when I say I was close with her you are starting to get it. We built a relationship with not only Sherry but her daughter and son. She loved everything about music and I never understood how she could be an elem strings teacher. I have no shame is saying I sounded awful in elem. My dad actually jokes that it wasn't till the middle of junior high that it sounded like music, but sherry loved it. Her strings program kept getting smaller and smaller to where she would have like 4 or 5 violin players and she would ask amanda and I to come play in the concerts to help the kids. We would also help with field trips and any other events throughout the year.
In high school I started having a hard time playing solo's. I had always been one of the best and instead of trying out for a harder orchestra I sat an entire year wasting my time in the lowest. I was always either 1st or 2nd chair and she was not happy about that. In junior year I did the same thing and chickened out of audtioning for symphony orchestra one of the highest and went straight into pops which is in the middle. But she continued to push me and she helped me get over my fear of auditioning and pretty much made me audition for symphony orchestra which I would have regretted not doing if it wasn't for her!!
She had such an impact on my life and I have such a strong love of music. I found out that she had to stop giving private lessons towards the end not because of how sick she was but that she just physically couldnt play anymore. I loved her so much and am so grateful that I had her in my life. She was a great woman who went through so much pain and I am so glad that she is pain free now. Amanda and I had a really hard time with her death and we asked my dad to come to her viewing that night with us and it was so good to see her not in pain. I loved talking with her daughter and how much we meant to her mom. She always called us the girls. In may she actually had an alumni concert which I was able to play in and I am so happy that so many came for her. She was amazing and I am so mad I have let my violin sit in its case broken for over a year. I promised her thursday night that I was going to get it fixed and I would be playing it again. I am so grateful for the talent I have to make beautiful music and I promise not to waste it!