This Norfolk music teacher will be honored in a local Hall of Fame

Music has the power to inspire, unite and bring joy to a community. Few people embody that spirit more than this week’s Joy Beat honoree: John Fouracre. 

A longtime music teacher at the Freeman-Kennedy School in Norfolk, John has dedicated his career to instilling a love of music in his students and shaping the next generation of musicians. And now, he’s being inducted into the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association’s Paul Smith Hall of Fame. 

He joined GBH’s All Things Considered guest host Judie Yuill to share more about his career and the importance of music education. What follows is a lightly edited transcript.

Judie Yuill: First off, congratulations on this honor! Tell us how you felt when you heard the news.

John Fouracre: Thank you. A little humbled — it definitely means a lot to me. It’s nice to be recognized for what we do, and MICCA is an amazing organization. We’re really lucky in Massachusetts to have it.

You know, I’m a bit surprised, but very grateful.

Yuill: You’ve been teaching music for many years, obviously stemming from your own love of music. Tell us about why you decided to pursue this career.

Fouracre: I started when I was in fifth grade, and I remember that the high school band came to demonstrate the instruments at the elementary school that I was at. At the time, I wanted to play the flute — there was a disco tune on the radio called “The Hustle,” and I really liked that song. So, in my mind, I wanted to play the flute.

I was ready to go, and I had a friend next to me [who] asked what I wanted to play, and I said, “I think I’m going to play the flute.” And he said, “No, don’t do that! My cousin has a trumpet, and you can make really cool loud noises with it.” So right there, I changed my mind.

I went home and asked my parents if I could play the trumpet. From the time I picked it up, that was it. I knew that’s what I was going to do.

Yuill: Music education and arts programs can play such a vital role in a child’s growth and development. But in many public schools, funding for these kinds of programs is under threat. Why do you believe it’s so important to keep music education alive for young people?

Fouracre: I think it gives the students a chance to learn about themselves in a setting that’s not necessarily academic. The way I look at music is it’s another team sport.

What the kids get [from] being in the instrumental programs — any of the instrumental programs — is a chance to be with other kids, learn to feel comfortable in their skin, learn to communicate nonverbally with the instrument and work together as a team.

There are so many things; the list goes on and on. I really do think it’s vital for schools to have not only music but the arts is general. So, we’re very lucky in Norfolk to have a community that supports what we do.

Yuill: Is there a standout moment or memory you have from your years of teaching that reminds you why you do what you do?

Fouracre: Every time that I have the students get up to perform. Particularly with my younger students, the excitement is palpable. To have them take an instrument that they didn’t know how to put together — I’ll use our first concert, for example.

They’re playing for about four months, and in that time, they’ve learned how to put the instrument together, to make a sound. When we get to perform in front of an audience, just the joy and excitement that I see in their faces and their sense of accomplishment, I’m reminded [why I do this] every time we perform.

Yuill: What brings you the most joy in your work, and how do you hope to continue spreading joy through music?

Fouracre: The most joy is just getting a chance to get to know my students and seeing them grow. I have them for three years, and from the time they start playing to the time they leave me, seeing the changes, what they can do with the instrument, the relationships that they’ve fostered by being in the band program. That’s what does it for me.

If you’d like to nominate someone or something for the Joy Beat, leave us a voicemail at (617)-300-BEAT [2328].

Plus — don’t forget to check out the new Joy Beat podcast! New episodes drop every other Tuesday.