Neighbor, Musician & Teacher Roy Nathanson Gets A Thank You To Start Off The School Year

You may be familiar with Roy Nathanson through his music (his group The Jazz Passengers has toured all over the world) or through hanging around Ditmas Park (he and Lloyd H. Miller of The Deedle Deedle Dees did a Happy Hour Jazz Series for a while at Lark)–but do any local parents know him as a teacher?

Neighbor Julie sent in this moving HuffPo piece by writer and Institute for Collaborative Education mom Robin Hardman about Roy’s dedication to his students–particularly, her son Leo. She praises his musical accomplishments and incredible energy, but clarifies, “I don’t want to tell you about Roy, the artist. I want to tell you about Roy, the teacher.”

Her piece introduces Roy, the teacher on Leo’s first day at ICE, when Roy was the only music teacher at the school. Roy handed Leo a trumpet from a school closet on his third day at ICE, where Leo decided to stay through his high school years. Hardman says in her article:

Roy is generous with his time and utterly unselfish, sharing whatever opportunities he can. Throughout our son’s career at ICE, Roy encouraged him, pushed him, enthused over him. In sixth grade, he gave us the name of the precise private teacher he thought Leo should study with and when I balked because it meant a long trip alone to Brooklyn after school, Roy said it was on his way home and he’d accompany him, if necessary.

When Leo decided he’d prefer to stay at ICE through high school, rather than attend the gigantic local arts high school, Roy promised us he’d see to it our son made up for the musical education he was turning down. He told us which local student ensembles Leo should audition for, and sometimes even when and where the auditions were. He connected us with a top-notch but inexpensive jazz camp. He told us when it was finally time to replace that public-school trumpet, and where to go to do so.

As Leo grew better and better, Roy invited him and other students to join him in professional gigs around New York City. And when the time came, Roy was right there weighing in on which college, which program, would be the best possible place for him.

From bringing his students together with famous friends like Debbie Harry to raising funds for any student who wants to fly overseas for a field trip in Paris or Munich, Hardman says, Roy works to give budding musicians from all backgrounds every opportunity he can. And as a result of Roy’s commitment, Leo is now at the New England Conservatory of Music.

“I have great admiration for teachers, in general,” she says, “But if I had to choose the one teacher in my son’s life most deserving of a lifetime achievement award, I’d put my money on Roy Nathanson.”

The full piece is a fantastic thank you to a passionate artist and educator–and one who just happens to be our neighbor.

Photo via Roy Nathanson