Chris Hamady

In 2001, I was the computer teacher, music teacher, and technology coordinator for Regina Coeli, a K-8 parochial school in Toledo, OH. Apple had just released iTunes for the Macintosh and I had just begun a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction: Educational Technology. I was excited and supercharged to make my mark in education.

As I began to explore iTunes, one feature in particular caught my attention. The automated computer generated visualizations that iTunes creates, synced in time with the music. It was during this time that I was also introducing my music students to "programmatic" classical compositions. Programmatic music, or program music, is music specifically written in such a way that it conveys to the listener a story. A good example of program music is Aaron Copland's, Appalachian Spring.

I wanted to help the students more easily understand the concept of program music. I decided that the best way to do this would be to spark their imaginations as much as possible. I wrote a lesson plan that went a little something like this:

The students would listen to a piece of programmatic classical music that was playing in iTunes. iTunes would also be creating a visualization based upon the playing music. I asked the students to write a one page paper describing what they thought the music was about. They could either listen to the music for inspiration, or look at the visualization. 

The lesson was a success. The students did such a fantastic job participating and demonstrating incredible imagination and creativity, I thought that I should share the lesson with others.

I wrote up the lesson plan a day or two after having presented it to the students. I wanted to send it to Apple as they not only owned and published the iTunes software, but they also had a division in their company that specifically focuses on educational technology. I had heard rumors that Steve Jobs' email address was steve@apple.com so that is the address that I mailed my lesson plan to.

A week or two went by and soon I forgot that I had sent this email to Steve. One day, while I was cleaning up my classroom at Regina Coeli, the secretary called my room and asked me if I wanted to talk to Apple Computer. Soon after I heard a female voice tell me, "We received your lesson plan…Steve really liked it and sent it to us. He asked us to send the students in your class some Apple t-shirts and Apple pens. How many do you need?" 

I was flabbergasted. I never really thought that he would actually read my email, much less act upon it. Here I was, a brand new doctoral student in educational technology, truly unsure and insecure about the decision that I had made to leave music and focus on education, and I just had a life changing experience with one of the most powerful, dynamic, forward looking human beings on the planet.

We are not made in one day or in one year. We are not made in one moment or in one event, but there are certain key happenings in our lives that have the unbelievable power to move us, validate us, or act as catalysts to enlighten us, encourage us, or inspire us. If Steve can read this blog post, I hope that he realizes that this one small thing that he did, was one huge moment in my life.

Thank you Steve.

Chris Hamady