Music

B.C. teacher that inspired 'School of Rock' is fighting for music again

by Richard Howard

Photo: Tammy Kwan/The Georgia Straight

Whether they belong to Jack Black’s considerable fan base or the equally sizeable group of people that find him insufferable, folks can usually agree on one thing: School of Rock was an awesome movie. Well, today I learned something that makes me love the 2003 comedy even more – Black’s character Dewey Finn was based on a Canadian.

Former Langley, B.C. music teacher Hans Fenger was the inspiration for the Hollywood blockbuster, and it turns out the movie didn’t stray too far from his real-life story. As a long-haired hippie musician in the ’70s, a new baby and mounting bills were initially the only reason Fenger took a job as a music teacher for young kids.

Less-than-auspicious beginnings notwithstanding, Fenger went on to become a passionate and inspirational teacher, even recording his students as The Langley Schools Music Project which went on to become a cult hit and the basis for School of Rock

It’s no surprise, then, that Fenger is at the forefront of the protest against proposed cuts to Vancouver schools’ music programs. For five of the last seven years, the Vancouver School Board has threatened to cut the band and strings program in the city’s schools. While students, parents and teachers staged a “silent protest” outside the board’s offices, Fenger appeared on CBC radio program On The Coast to talk about the importance of music and other art based programs in schools.

“Music and art are activities which allow children to think in a more abstract way… a kind of thinking that allows children to be more open to new ideas, to be more retrainable. [They are] those subjects that create citizenship in a school, gives kids a sense of belonging, gives kids a sense of working with other kids together, and it gives your school the kind of feeling that you want to be there.”

[h/t CBC]