Over the last 5 years I have had percussion lessons and I have really enjoyed them that is due to my amazing teacher Mr Priest who’s final day at Talbot Heath was last week as he has decided to move back to Derbyshire where he was born and where his parents lived which is fair enough. This makes me super sad as he will no longer be teaching me in my final year of school. Now for most of you this probably seems a bit dramatic or maybe even a bit crazy that I am so upset of him leaving. Well….
When I was a little 12 year old girl I decided that I should pick up a new instrument and I was drawn in by all of the percussion instruments as they looked so fun and so therefore I picked them. I’d never met Mr Priest before so it was all a little bit new and I wasn’t really too fond of meeting new men especially after my Dad and Grandad died so I guess you could say was that I was nervous of this
Mr Priest BASICALLY made me play this instrument called the Marimba as his plan was that I would play it in the school orchestra once the person who was originally playing it left (clever plan there), but after about hmmm 3 YEARS of playing this instrument I had had ENOUGH so we’ve moved onto many different instruments and he said I’d be good enough to take the grade 4 exam his words not mine!
During my lessons we sort of didn’t just make music like we’re supposed to do, but we actually usually muck around and act like we are literally about 6. Also in our ‘lessons’ we watched amazing YouTube videos of up and coming musicians which was fun as it inspired me to carry on with percussion.
Another little thing about Mr Priest is that I trust that man with EVERYTHING! I thing I am bold enough to say that he is one of the first men I have trusted in a while and I am so grateful he has been a small part of my life and I really hope he doesn’t tell anyone up in Derbyshire about me as he knows way too many secrets about me that I really don’t want getting out there! Not that I will probably ever meet anyone that he knows in Derbyshire but you never know! (He also knows a few secrets about some of my friends WHICH NO ONE CAN EVER KNOW THAT I TOLD HIM AND NO ONE CAN EVER KNOW ABOUT THEM! MR PRIEST IF YOU ARE READING THIS DO NOT TELL ANYONE ANYTHING I TOLD YOU!!!!!!!!)
I have really enjoyed my time doing percussion with Mr Priest and I am so sorry that he has to go as he will be dearly missed. The last thing I heard is that he didn’t have a job to go to so anyone in Derbyshire needing a percussionist Dan Priest is your guy!
Good luck in Derbyshire Dan Priest and Thank you for everything you will be dearly missed and this new teacher will obviously never be as good as you!
Thank You
~Ciara~
