After nearly 38 years, Performing Arts Faculty Michael Turner will be retiring from his role in the Music Department at the end of the first semester. Turner’s impact has reached far in the school community. “He built everything that [the music program] is, and that will never be lost,” Director of Music Nhung Truong said.
During his first few years at Nobles, Turner was a jack of all trades. He was initially hired in 1988 as a part-time music director for the year’s Spring Musical, Sweeney Todd. However, the school needed someone to lead its developing computer department, and Turner, with a background in technology, volunteered. While his tenure in that position lasted only a few years, he continued to take on various roles at Nobles, including directing orchestral chamber groups, conducting several a cappella groups, and spearheading the Music Theory program.
When Turner arrived at Nobles, the music program was also not nearly as established as it is today. “The very first glee club that I directed [in 1988-89], the first big choral ensemble, had 38 students in it and only one boy. It took a lot of effort, walking down the hallways, finding kids, and trying to build the choral program, until it finally turned into something that really worked,” he said. The success of his outreach helped establish the program that exists today, which involves over 200 students.
As Turner has guided the music program for nearly 40 years, he’s brought care and dedication to each individual relationship. Sarah Reeves Williams (N ’00) said, “My first experience with Mr. Turner was voice lessons, and I was so nervous, but he was so kind, so supportive, and so encouraging, and even if you messed up a thousand times, he still had the same smile on his face.” His kindness extends to his various roles at Nobles, including his teaching responsibilities in the classroom. Johanna Heller (Class II) said, “He’s extremely talented, and he also really cares about each individual student. I struggled a little at the beginning of AP Music Theory, and he would reach out to meet with me to ensure that I felt I could succeed in the class.”
While he has always paid keen attention to individual relationships, Turner demonstrates an equal commitment to his choral groups, which he approaches with a spirit of joy and collaboration. “It’s not about a product. It’s about the experience, and it’s a joyful experience of making music together. I tell the students, ‘I’m already proud of you for what we’ve accomplished together in the rehearsal process, and the concert is just a snapshot of that.’ Do I want it to be spectacular? Do I want people coming up and saying, ‘Oh, it was the best concert ever?’ Yes, that’s lovely. But that’s not at all why I do it,” Turner said.
The passion and attention Turner dedicates to his students do not go unnoticed. Sunehri Verma (Class I), a member of Chamber Singers and Greensleeves for the past three years, said, “Mr. Turner is so good at bringing us into the rehearsal space, calming us down, and getting us in tune with each other, especially through circle singing.” Turner has employed circle singing—an improvisational and collaborative technique—in Chamber Singers’ rehearsals since 2017, when he spent a week attending a festival to learn about circle singing himself.
Throughout his time at Nobles, Turner has used his own continuous learning, such as with circle singing, to inform his teaching. Verma said, “I really admire the fact that he talks about his own learning in his teaching and allows everything he’s learned to be things that we learn now.” This approach was especially apparent when Turner welcomed his current voice teacher, Judy Vinar, to perform with him in his Farewell Concert on November 14.
The night was a tribute and celebration of the joyful impact that he has had on so many. The concert featured 16 current and former faculty members in several classic songs, including “Massachusetts”, “Shower the People”, and “Road to Nowhere”. On the latter two pieces and several more, many others joined Turner, including current Nobles student musicians, over 30 graduates, and his own three children.
When asked if there was a particular farewell message Turner would like to give, he remained humble and gracious. “Thank you. Thanks to everyone for letting me take this ride for 37 and a half years … I don’t take it for granted that I get to do exactly what I love doing every single day,” he said.
Thank you, Michael Turner. Your generosity and artistry have irrevocably transformed the music program, and your music will continue to ring throughout the school for years to come.
