Dorothy Bates
My music lessons started at an early age but gave up in my teens. The interest was still there so I played with a local band during my teens and my sisters and I used to sing as a trio, making a record for mom during this time. I got married and had a family and it was through my daughters I came back to music. I was waiting for my children to come out of a dance class, when the teacher came out to ask if anyone could play, her pianist had been taken ill and children were practising for exams. I offered my services, but said I was not very good.
Following the dance class I was asked if I would take the music book home and study it and come back the following week. During that week I realised I would not be able to do this if I didn’t get help, so, with the encouragement of my husband I found a brilliant teacher, Miss Joyce Mildren who took me under her wings. From there I went from strength to strength, taking all the exams plus my ALCM diploma from the London College of Music, at this time I also studied with a professor from Birmingham conservatoire to help with my theory of music.
I also played in music festivals from which I earned a 3rd and 1st place. Quite an achievement as I studied for these exams while bringing up 2 children, having a part time job and a teaching practise at night, from which I had successes. One young man has his own jazz group in London now, another young man entered the young musician of the year competition and narrowly missed winning it, coming a close second and in all the years I have taught piano, only 1 pupil has ever failed an exam, an achievement I am very proud of.
I progressed to MD of a school which lasted for 12 years, a very happy time for me, working with choirs and orchestras, again taking them to competitions, with successes. My Choirs represented their schools at music for youth and sang in the Festival hall, also the Albert Hall in London and the Symphony Hall in Birmingham.
One of the choristers achieved a second place in choir boy of the year and a young lady from school got to second place in the West Midlands young vocalist of the year. Lesley sang in the night out theatre restaurant at that time to a packed house, taking her bow like a true professional and I accompanied on piano with the full orchestra, a wonderful night.
I then took on the post of director of music at the Walsall academy of dance and followed my own daughter’s progress to teacher status; in fact I played for all her exams. My second daughter played piano and flute; my husband had his own music group, so we were a very musical family.
When I retired from school I took the post of pianist with Cannock exservicemen’s male voice choir, something I had always been interested in, finally taking on the role of MD. This has been a happy time for me; we are not only a choir but a family. Anyone interested in singing come along and join us, we practise on Monday evenings 7.45pm. All contact details can be found on the NAC web site and under the contact us link.
When I think back over my life it amazes me that I have been able to achieve so much. Leaving school at 15 due to family problems (both father and stepfather had passed away leaving mom to care for 5 children) I started work on a farm delivering milk from an open dairy and then working my way through life to this point, but I was always ambitious to get on in life and the work ethic instilled in us as children helped me do that. I feel I have been very lucky.