After many years of creating music and sparking inspiration in young students, Elsie Timpson, a celebrated music and choir teacher, is retiring after her hard work within the elementary schools of the district as well as James Caldwell High School.
For a number of students, Mrs. Timpson was not just a teacher, but a mentor and inspiration, giving many a safe space for freedom of expression within school walls. Though close with her High School students, her impact on the elementary schools doesn’t go unnoticed. Senior Ava Bell, a current member of the Women’s Choir, went to Jefferson Elementary, one of the schools taught by Mrs. Timpson. Whilst recalling her time with her throughout the years, Ava stated, “I practically grew up with her. She is what kept me in the music program, a place where I have made many new friends throughout the years.” With many students having known her since kindergarten, learning their first scales and silly songs under her patient tutelage, and then growing into confident performers as high school seniors, her impact is clear.
Mrs. Timpson has always believed that music is more than a performance, but rather a bridge to understanding ourselves and others. On the last day of classes, Mrs. Timpson read Karl Paulnack’s “The Importance of Music” to both of her high school class periods. She read, “If there is a future of peace for humankind, if there is to be an understanding of how these invisible, internal things should fit together, I expect it will come from the artists, because that’s what we do.” Her teachings and classes have reflected this idea that they have safe spaces for self-expression, reflection, and much more. Various students stated that they had confided in her about personal struggles, showing the comfortable environment created throughout the years she has taught in the district.
In a society usually too busy to slow down and listen, Mrs. Timpson has reminded generations of students and peers alike of the important impact that the arts have in our lives. “Artists are the ones who might be able to help us with our internal, invisible lives,” she told her students through the speech, urging them to sing not just with their voices but with their hearts.
Colleagues describe her as a staple in JCHS’s music program. Coworker Mr. Burrows, the Band Director and Instrumental Music Teacher, expressed his appreciation for Mrs. Timpson. He reassured the students that many measures were taken to find the perfect replacement, keeping that safe space and passion previously found within Mrs. Timpson.
As Mrs. Timpson prepares for the next events in her life, it is clear her legacy will remain prominent, as she touched many students and hearts through the art of music. When discussing her future plans, she described her new house in Rhode Island with her husband and daughter. She plans on taking a step back from music and “begin living life.”
Though her baton may be resting, the music and creativity she shared with her students will live on. And that is the most beautiful thing she has taught.
