Mrs. Kutzko and Music

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Mrs. Kutzko. My 9th grade english teacher. I hated her, I mean I hated her. I dreaded english, and that used to be my favorite class. Everyday dragging my ass into that class. She took no intrest in me, I in her. Until one day.

I can't remember what the lesson was, but when I came to class the projector was out in front. Great, another boring lesson watching her write.

I was wrong. Today, she informed us, we were going to read lyrics. What is this artist trying to tell us? The first transparency was the lyrics to Good Night Saigon, Billy Joel, The Nylon Curtain. We read the lyrics together, discussing each line "six weeks on paris island", "we came in spastic, like tameless horses, we left in plastic, as numbered corpses" I had no idea. It was so powerful. Then, she played the song, we listened to the choppers in the beginning, the chorus raging up from somewhere I still cant find singing "and we would all go down together". Then, we read the song again. We read it having heard the pain and emotion in the actual song.

Then, she put up Allentown. "well were living here in allentown" "the graduations hang on the wall, though they never really helped us at all, never taught what was real, iron and coke, chromium steel" Again, we read about the steel and coal mines closing in Pittsburgh. Listened to the song, and read them again.

That day, after school, I went to a record store (oh how I miss *record stores*), bought that album, yes, album and began my love affair with lyrics, Billy Joel and knew that Mrs. Kutzko would be forever burned into my memory.

She is still teaching, at the same high school. I am going to write her and say Thanks. I got it, it stuck. You reached someone.

So, I love music, all kinds. Sometimes a song will hit me so hard, I connect with it and it becomes the soundtrack of my life. I will be changing the background music as the mood changes. Right now Stevie Nicks is playing "If you ever did believe" I love Stevie. Thanks again Mrs. Kutzko