The Music Settlement and The Soloist

As many of you know, a big movie is opening this week that tackles the theme of the power of music in an unusual way. It’s called The Soloist and it stars some Hollywood heavyweights: Oscar® nominated actor Robert Downey Jr., and Jamie Foxx, winner for best actor in 2004. The film is receiving the marketing full court press that so often accompanies movies with buzz. Not that there’s anything wrong with that - encouraging everyone to experience a story that merges social issues with the arts and also packs a big entertainment wallop is great, and I’m all for it!

What you might not know is that The Music Settlement and one of its outstanding past faculty members play a central role in the story. The lead character, Nathaniel Ayers, was a student at our Magnolia Drive campus in the 1960’s. While the story deals with the heartbreak of mental illness exacerbated by high expectations of professional-level music instruction and the resulting unattained potential, it also includes a brief portrait of caring and compassion within the context of the teacher/student relationship. When Nathaniel displayed an innate ability as a young student to play the string bass, he began to study with Cleveland Orchestra member Harry Barnoff at The Music Settlement.

Harry is a universally respected and loved instructor who is known not just for bringing out the best in musicians, but also for being a mentor in the truest sense. While tutoring Nathaniel, he also considered the fragility of his student’s psyche and worked hard to steer him in directions that would align with his needs in healthy, nurturing ways. This was just the way Harry did things; he embodied a holistic approach to instruction before people even knew what that word meant. His efforts to advise a safe path were ultimately not chosen by Nathaniel, and that’s where the Catch-22 of the story really begins. No one can say for certain whether Harry’s guidance might have led to a different result, but the point is that Harry paid attention, he cared, and he did his best to provide life skills as well as music lessons.

The 97-year history of The Music Settlement is full of great teachers, instructors, and therapists like Harry Barnoff, for that is the kind of mentoring and experience we seek to provide every day. When you come to our campus, our goal is to broaden your life, to build your self-image and awareness, and to prepare you for success in whatever path you choose, be it music or any other.

Harry was and is committed to the people he taught, and he cares about them beyond the practice room. We have all experienced transformation through mentors who we will never forget. That’s what we strive for every day in every department at The Music Settlement. When you see the movie, I encourage you to use the occasion to remember those that have touched your life in a similar way, at The Music Settlement or elsewhere. When you do think of them, please thank them, in person or in spirit. They deserve it.