Remembering

Alice Chalifoux, my harp teacher when I attended The Cleveland Institute of Music died July 31, at the age of 100. Reading of her death caused me to pause and remember my college days. A time that seems like a different life ago because my life now is so different than it was when I was in college. Miss Chalifoux was in her 80’s when I attended CIM. I think the scariest moment in my whole life was when I was in a car with Miss Chalifoux driving. She was a very small woman and she sat on a big phone book and still could barely see above the steering wheel. She was a very fiesty woman. She never yelled but if you weren’t prepared she could still make you feel as small as a pin head. Maybe because she was such a respected person in the harp world. I am very thankful for all Ilearned from her. Towards the end of my senior year I had decided to leave the music world behind and start a family. I was so scared to tell Miss Chalifoux this. People don’t go to CIM to study and get a degree and then leave it to be a mom. I was afraid she would feel like she had wasted her time with me. But when i told her she said she thought that was great and told me to give my husband all my attention. She said she wished she had spent more time with her husband before he died. It was a difficult decision for me to make and talking to her really helped. What a great blessing it was for me to be able to study with her!

08/06/2008 | michele |

Comment

  1. I’m sorry to hear of her passing. I know how much you enjoying learning from her. It’s nice to have good memories isn’t it!

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    Kim
    Aug 7, 06:12 AM

  2. It’s nice to see her name written because I always thought her name was Michelafu.

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    Sarah
    Aug 7, 06:43 PM

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