Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson presented Don Bosse of Fredericton High School (FHS) in Fredericton, NB with the 2016 MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award in Toronto last month. Rush partnered with the Canadian music education charity to co-sponsor the Award which recognizes teachers with outstanding dedication to inspiring and nurturing the musical growth of Canadian youth. Yesterday MusiCounts posted a video of the presentation including some interview segments with Geddy and Alex (thanks TheSphere1729) which you can watch below or at this location. From the original announcement:
... Rush members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson surprised Bossé, who is a fan of the band, while he was in Toronto last week for a private shopping experience at Holt Renfrew Men for his JUNO red carpet-ready suit. At the surprise presentation to Bossé, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson spoke about the reasons they chose to support this award. "When everything you have in life has come from the fountain of music, you want to spread that around and you want to encourage others," said Lee. "Music is a fantastic way to enrich your life and to express yourself, so to encourage teachers to help young people find that in themselves is a very noble cause." "It's also way more fun than math," added Lifeson. ... "It is a huge honour for MusiCounts to have an iconic group like Rush sponsor this award," said Allan Reid, President & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards & MusiCounts. "Considering that Geddy and Alex both share fond memories of being in music class together and Neil's comments about the direct influence of teachers throughout his career, it's very fitting. Without teachers like Don, it's hard to imagine just how many other JUNO Award-winning artists may not have got that crucial inspiration at a young age." ... "The experience of receiving the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year award from MusiCounts and Rush was truly amazing. It is a day I will never forget," said Bossé. "The award means a lot because it validates the importance of what we do as music educators and teachers, and the positive impact we have in the lives of our students." ...
Geddy Lee also spoke with Victoria Ahearn of The Canadian Press about the award and had this to say:
... Lee says he didn't have a teacher like Bosse growing up and he always felt there was a part of his musical education "that could have been so much more effective." "Learning in school in that time was very rigid and very classical-oriented and you didn't have the kind of creativity that people like Don are bringing into the classroom," says Lee. "I find that's what's so cool, when you go to some of these more contemporary and forward-thinking teachers, they're the ones that make a difference." ...
