We have covered some, not all, of the people who have had a huge influence on generations of children who have grown up playing piano and guitar, and other instruments due in large to the teachers who gave endlessly of their time and talents to insure that others would carry on their legacy. That legacy has caused a ‘ripple effect’ from this little county in North Alabama to as far away as California, New York and Florida. Here are a few more. My apologies to those we couldn’t get hold of, or didn’t have time and space this year to devote to you, there’s always next year!
Sometimes there are people who pass through our lives like the proverbial ships in the night; others are more complex in their relationships to those they interact with. Some are in our hearts and minds forever, as friends, teachers and mentors. Here is the story of one such mentor/friend whose former students chimed in on this series to pay their respects and gratitude to a teacher who they all agree, was more than a teacher, she’s become like family.
Gail Dutton LouAllen started playing piano when she was in the fourth grade, taking lessons from several teachers over the course of her studies. One of them was Ms. Anna Simms Rainey, the first teacher featured in this series. Her love of music was passed down to her from her father, Mutt Dutton. She continued to play duets with him until his death not long ago.
Although it was never her intention to teach music, she just sort of naturally gravitated into the role because she played in church and people heard her, liked her style and were persuasive enough to nudge her in that direction. Over the past 50 years she has taught hundreds of children, and is still doing so.
Sometimes parents told her, “If you don’t teach them anything else, taking lessons will teach them to keep appointments and to be on time,” she laughed, knowing that it teaches them so very much more. “It teaches a child how to be responsible, self-confident, and it is something that they can do for the rest of their lives.”
She recalls them all fondly and keeps up with their achievements and successes, still cheering them on whenever she talks to them.
One of those children was three-year-old Joy Henderson. That’s not a typo, she was three. “I was one of those babies who kicked along to the music when I was still in the womb,” she laughed. Her parents, Chris and Diane Henderson, remembered the tiny life growing inside of Diane’s swelling belly and recognized that it might be a sign of responding to musical stimuli.
When she was barely old enough to sit on a bench and reach the keys they took their toddler to Gail LouAllen, who somehow knew just how to keep her attention and further stimulate her interest and involvement in the piano and the sounds that she could command from the ivory and black keys.
“She made it interesting and fun,” Joy recalls. “She taught me the color key codes and it helped me to learn those, too, along with the sound each note made.”
How in the world do you teach a child that young to play piano? “Through love, patience and perseverance,” says LouAllen.
An East Lawrence 2001 graduate, Joy was Drum Major in the marching band there and taught the East Lawrence band camp. “I knew the first time that I saw UNA’s marching band that it’s what I wanted to do.”
During her college years she worked at Disney under the company’s college program, and eventually returned to Florence where she graduated from UNA with a BA and an MA, and went on to teach elementary and high school music. She still loves conducting and exploring learning to play different instruments.
She met her husband, Mitchell Solomon while teaching in northern Florida. The couple now resides near Orlando with their four-year-old son, Carson, who is also musically inclined.
Joy credits her knowledge of music, pleasure in sharing it with others and her career in music to Gail LouAllen, “Miss Gail instilled a love for music in me at a very young age,” she said. “She has a passion for music that she passed along to me.”
Although she quit piano at the age of 13 when she started taking flute lessons in Huntsville, she knows that those formative years spent in Gail’s classes were the backbone of her success. “She taught me music theory and note identification and how to read music properly. If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have been able to do what I’ve done,” Joy concluded.
Siblings Steven and Tracy Loosier both studied piano under the tutelage of Gail LouAllen. Steven was five, and in kindergarten at the time. Now, at the age of 41, he looks back at those years of taking lessons from Gail as some of the best of his young life. Since his sister, Tracy (Rabi) was also taking lessons, it was almost the same as having two teachers.
He says that it was from Ms. Gail that he learned piano because she was more to them than just a piano teacher. “She poured of herself into us,” he stressed. “Our achievements were her achievements.”
LouAllen’s basic lessons consisted of beginning basic music books and went from there to the Mull Song Books, with emphasis on the old traditional hymns.
In addition to teaching, she always enjoys playing in churches and for various events. She made it a point to honor God in her teaching and interactions with her students. And in between learning manners, social etiquette and good work ethics, they learned to play the piano almost like it was a game or a fun activity, something way beyond learning to read music and keep time.
Loosier has used all of the skills and traits LouAllen taught him and has served as church keyboardists in several churches over the years. He now resides in Lebanon, Tenn. with his wife and daughter, Cameryn, who is also a talented musician. He has adapted LouAllen’s style of playing a little bit of everything including country and swing, but for both, gospel music is the core of their expression in music.
“I can still hear her telling me that people would let me down, but music never would, that it would be my friend forever, and that has proven to be true,” he says now.
Currently, Loosier lends his talents to the choir that sings with CeCe Winans, led by 3x Grammy Award winning songwriter, producer, and church leader, Dwan Hill, and is excited to be singing with such a talented group.
His sister, Tracy Rabi who lives in Athens now, agrees with his thoughts about their former teacher and current family friend. In fact, she attributes being able to help her own son, Jordan Waldrop, how to play directly to LouAllen, passing what LouAllen taught her on down to the next generation of students. “Jordan took from Gail for several years, starting at the age of five, and now at the age of 21 he is still playing with the UNA Jazz Band,” she said.
Tracy still plays for special church events and funerals, and with her brother, when their schedules permit.
Lynn Thompson and her daughters, Emma, 23, and Maggie, 14, are also big fans of this teacher who has touched so very many lives. “She is more like family than a teacher,” says Lynn.
“She’s an incredible lady, and the wisest person I know,” daughter, Emma, chimed in. “You go there partly for the piano lessons and partly for the advice!”
“My kids didn’t want to leave when lessons were over,” Lynn laughed.
“She is always helping struggling people and never makes a big deal of it,” Maggie added.
As for LouAllen herself, she says she started teaching because she knew the need in various churches. “I just wanted to do my part to help,” she said.
She says part of the reason for her success is that she finds out what kind of music a child likes to play and works from there. Usually she can use some psychology on the ones who don’t want to be there at first and after they’ve come for a few sessions they find out how much fun it is.
“The blessings from my students are joy unspeakable and full of glory!” she said immediately when asked what the most rewarding part of her job has been. “I hope that their feelings will always be mutual.”
Many thanks to those of you who have traveled back in time with us to try and show the line of students who sprang from right here in Lawrence County. It is with humble respect and fascination that I look over this series and I’m in awe of you who have provided the children of Lawrence County with such a lifelong treasure as you went about your work with a song in your heart and with grace and quiet dignity. The ripple effect continues ….