A Musical Tradition
John D. Stewart, MD
Chairman, Generation V
Stewart Home & School
Kentucky Heritage Day, 2012. Photo by Bill Patterson ’81
EXTRA
FORTISSIMO!
At the commencement of the Class of 2019 it sounded to some
in the Scarlet Gate audience as if Dr. David Cooper, middle
and lower school music teacher since 1999, played “Pomp and
Circumstance” with extra fortissimo. His 21st commencement
was his last time at a TLS piano.
Dr. Cooper has retired – after playing “The Lexington School Alma Mater”
in 17 different performances every school year; organizing and providing
accompaniment in 180 lower school assemblies, once a month for 20 years;
producing and accompanying students in 17 fifth grade musicals; writing
the script for, directing, and accompanying fourth graders for 20 Kentucky
Heritage Days. He has spent at least two hours at the piano every school day
during these last two decades. He is the second-longest-tenured music teacher
in TLS history, behind Martha Anderson.
Gunnar Hamilton ’08, thoroughly immersed in the current Lexington music
scene along with Philip Lillelund ’07, recalls, “What impressed me most – and
I play violin, guitar, and piano a lot – was that Dr. Cooper could sight read any
piece of music anybody ever gave him. He’d play it perfectly, right there on the
spot, without ever seeing it before. That’s pretty crazy. Another thing that amazed
me were the super unique plays Dr. Cooper had us doing. He sometimes wrote
the script; he played the music, of course; he was the stage director; he had a real
passion for all of it. Even as young as fourth grade, it felt like we were working for
an actual playhouse. That’s how it felt. He’s the Maestro!”
Perhaps Dr. Cooper’s TLS pal Jeff Crowe says it best, “I love hearing you laughing
and singing opera in the hallways – I can hear you all the way over to Scarlet Gate!”
Bravissimo, Dr. Cooper, and thank you!
12
Friday, April 26, 2019, was a
special sixth grade visit to our
Stewart Home & School campus
in Frankfort. It included a cousin
Clara Nicol and a neighbor Laura B
Friesen. But especially it included,
as always, your music director
Dr. David Cooper, who started
this tradition in 1999 with the
sixth grade class of my daughter
Magda Stewart ’02, now an
equine DVM. Dr. Cooper followed
with a visit by the class of our son,
John Stewart ’04, an automotive
engineer, when he, too, was in
sixth grade. David first heard of our
program from publicity after our
handbell choir performed at the
White House. When TLS visited in
April, our music director, Michael
Ghant, and the voice choir had a
gift T-shirt for Dr. Cooper, and they
performed “Thank You for Being
a Friend.” It was a sentimental
moment.
We welcome the opportunity
to share the special educational
experiences we have with
Lexington School students,
teachers, and parents.