Music teacher retires to focus on youth

After 15 years, an Innisfail music teacher has closed a chapter in her career.

Jeanette Manser, 34, is a graduate of Innisfail High School and the Royal Conservatory of Music (Grade 10). She has been teaching voice and guitar lessons in Innisfail for more than a decade, and recently decided to move on from teaching to focus on her youth ministry work with Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools and family life.

"I pursued music and went to Red Deer College and received my diploma," said Manser, noting she began teaching music part-time. "It became something that people started asking more about and it became my full-time job for quite a few years."

Manser began taking singing lessons at the young age of 13 with aspirations of becoming a singer. Several years later she began teaching music lessons in Innisfail while studying in Grade 12.

For the past 15 years, Manser has run Jeannette's Music Studio from her home, focusing on musical theatre numbers, music theory and performances.

"This year has been phenomenal. It's really hard to say goodbye because this group (of music students) works really hard," she said.

Her students have ranged in age from six to 50 and have varied in abilities and vocal range. At one point she was teaching up to 70 students a week.

Manser recently held a final year-end recital on June 19 at the Innisfail United Church. The three-hour recital was a chance for students and alumni to bid farewell to their longtime teacher and showcase some of their favourite tunes.

"Each student did a solo (at the recital). Some of them performed songs that they did in the music festival this year," said Manser. "We also had some of our alumni back to sing in the recital."

Manser said she wishes all her students well in their musical endeavours and would love to see them continue their music careers.

"A lot of them have done so well and I'm super proud of them," she said, noting the impact music has had on her students.

"It gives students confidence and it gives them the ability to know that they are capable of doing something," explained Manser. "You're not only just a singing teacher, you become a friend, a counsellor and a mentor."

Despite the end of her teaching, Manser said that moving forward, music will continue to play a defining role in her life.

"Music for me has always been something that I felt I was good at. It was a gift that I could give," said Manser. "It's really a passion and being able to share that with others was incredible."

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