National Guardsman on Capitol Hill is giving remote music lessons

National Guardsman on Capitol Hill is giving remote music lessons

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norman lebrecht

January 19, 2021

Dr. Jake Kohut, a National Guardsman protecting the United States Capitol, is a music teacher in private life at Canterbury_Wood Elementary School in Fairfax County, Virginia.

While waiting on the Hill for the presidential inauguration, Jake is teaching flute and oboe to the kids back home.

Watch here.

 

Comments

  • Old Man in the Midwest says:

    Amazing. Glad he is getting the attention he deserves. We need more dedicated teachers like this fellow.

  • Rogerio says:

    Of all western countries, the United States is almost certainly the one with the most “Heroes”. The word pops up everywhere when America talks of itself.
    I can’t think of another country … wait a minute…
    “Hero of the Russian Federation”, “Hero of the USSR” – that’s it.
    “Heroes” come in really handy to some countries. At certain points in their histories. It seems that the more screwed up they are, the more Heroes are shoved in peoples’ faces.
    As long as this is going on, good luck with systemic change.

    • Emil says:

      Oh, the ‘Clap for Carers’ and ‘Captain Tom Moore’ country is doing fairly well on ‘hero’ status too. It’s convenient, as it allows the government to dodge the systemic issues.

      • Anon says:

        Oh for God’s sake, Emil, it’s a glimmer of hope story in an otherwise hopeless barrage of bad news & it has particular interest to music teachers, many of whom read Slipped Disc. Nothing more. The US govt probably isn’t even aware that he’s a music teacher, so get off your high horse.

        And Emil – this is about the National Guard IN THE U.S. – a country which is definitely not big on “clapping for carers”. You’ve got that confused with some other European nation. And Captain Tom Moore is British. Geez. Read the damned facts of the story before you spout off, please.

    • Hayne says:

      Can’t disagree with Rogerio.

  • Nijinsky says:

    Yeah, I almost bought one of those flutes. That’s a nice Haynes.

  • Fred Funk says:

    OK. Who’s heading up one of the M60 teams? A viola player from Ripley, West Virginia?

  • David Rohde says:

    The name of the school is Canterbury Woods Elementary School. “Canterbury_Wood” is for whatever reason the school administration’s Twitter handle. Many music teachers here in Fairfax County, Virginia teach at multiple schools. I believe that Jake Kohut is affiliated with two public schools (in the American sense of that term) in the county, the other one being a middle school. Thanks to Norman for posting this story so people around the world can see it.

  • JussiB says:

    This reminds me. Thank you Gustavo Dudamel for the La Sistema music education in L.A. public schools.

  • HugoPreuss says:

    He should be spontaneously invited to play at the inauguration tomorrow! That would be a nice symbolic act, both toward the National Guard and toward the arts…

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