Transforming lives through melody… Music educator Paul Cort is a ‘Special Person’

Aug 09, 2015 News

---

“Every opportunity I get to help people, I do it because if it were not for the help of other persons who just wanted to be good, I would not be sitting here.”

 

By Desilon Daniels

Mr. Christian Elias was the church organist at the St. James’ the Less Anglican Church. Each Sunday, the pews would fill and he would take his seat at his instrument, ready to let God speak through him. He had held the position for years and was quite good at his job.

But Mr. Elias is not the focus of our story today. Rather, our focus is on Paul, the young boy sitting quietly by himself watching the organist. As Mr. Elias adroitly played the organ Paul would watch him, riveted and awed by his talent. To this youngster, playing with your hands and feet were an amazing thing and the magnificent sounds produced were even more fascinating.

Everyone who knew Paul knew he loved to sing, but his fascination with music grew the more he watched Mr. Elias.

Perhaps Mr. Elias did not know the effect he had on Paul; he certainly would not have guessed that, 25 years later, the young man who frequently watched him would not only still possess a love for music but would have embarked upon a lifelong path into the field.

Now nearing his thirty-seventh birthday, Paul Cort’s love for music is just as strong – or perhaps even stronger – than it had been all of those years ago. It is this love for music, and the way Paul has used it to transform his life and those of others, that makes him a ‘special person’.

 

EARLY LIFE

Paul was born on August 19, 1978, in the growing Kitty area. He shared that he loved singing since he was about 6-years-old and had first learned the art from his music teacher in primary school. He said that since then it was recognised he had a nice singing voice. When he joined the St. James’ Church, Paul was 12-years-old.

It is an age when most boys are now becoming interested in girls or are caught up in playing games. However, things were different with Paul; Mr. Elias was an influence on his life and, after watching the musician for quite some time, Paul said he approached the man and shared his interest in wanting to learn to play the organ.

However, Mr. Elias indicated that he did not teach, but knew someone who did: music teacher Ms. Daphne Scott, who was also the organist at St. George’s Cathedral.

Excited, Paul and his father went to see Ms. Scott. They were told that they needed a specific book before Paul could learn the piano.

“My father walked the whole of Georgetown and couldn’t find the book anywhere and, because he couldn’t find the book, she decided I couldn’t be taught,” Paul said. He added that his parents were not rich – his mother was a housewife while his father did as much as possible to sustain the family – but they nonetheless supported and encouraged his pursuit of music, because they wanted him to be happy. They themselves were not musical in any way.

However, despite his disappointment with Miss Scott, Paul was not one to be deterred and his burning desire led him to renowned musician, Miss Edith Pieters, in 1994.

“It was one afternoon, on Friday January 21, 1994, that I encountered the late Edith Victorine Pieters. I was bold, but it was that boldness that constrained her to accept me in the middle of the academic year, despite the fact that I missed the previous semester of the academic year,” Paul related.

“I remember stalking her, because no one could tell me how to reach her. I was given her licence plate number – PBB 1954 – which I spotted in the parking lot at Guyana Stores Limited. I took my chances and waited until she appeared and saw me firmly planted by her car. I walked up to her and said, ‘Good afternoon, are you Miss Pieters?’ She stood stoically and responded, ‘Yes’. I went on, ‘Miss Edith Pieters?’ and she said, ‘Yes’ and I retorted, ‘Good, I want to study music with you to become the best musician in Guyana. Will you teach me?” She just smiled and said ‘Yes, come Wednesday.’”

For the next two to three years, Paul worked hard under the tutelage of Miss Pieters. He had a lot of catching up to do due to his age and lack of practice, but he was determined to make the best of the opportunity. He recounted that he practised at church – much to the annoyance of everyone else – and would turn up an hour and a half early for class to be able to use the piano there.

“Because I used to show up so early, Miss Pieters used to take me and teach me extra before everyone else arrived. Because I demonstrated that level of interest, she decided she would push me and was very generous with her time,” Paul said. He said she also taught him free of cost and bought his books, because she realised his parents could not afford it.

In 1996, Paul became the music teacher at The Bishops’ High School before finishing his studies with Miss Pieters in 1997. That same year, he also became the music teacher at Queen’s College, where he stayed until 2001.

But Paul was destined for greater things; at 23-years-old, he went to study in the US at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where he spent his first two years doing a music education major. At the time he believed that he would only become a teacher, and he explained he had not expected himself to take up the performance aspect of music.

But, after winning second place at the prestigious National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition, receiving widespread commendations and a full scholarship, Paul left Concordia and transferred to Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. There, he pursued a Degree in Vocal Performance under renowned international opera singer Simon Estes. Paul finally finished his studies in 2008 at the age of 30 with a Master’s Degree from Boston University, where he also studied vocal performance.

THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE

But even while music was quickly consuming Paul’s life, something unexpected happened: he met the love of his life, Malaika.

When Paul met Malaika, he was 21-years-old and teaching at Queen’s College. She was a 16-year-old student living in Essequibo and was a pastor’s daughter. Paul first met Malaika’s mother during a church event then finally met the young woman during a subsequent visit.

“Our courtship was itself challenging. She lived in Wakenaam, Essequibo and I lived in Kitty, Georgetown. She had to go to school and I had to go to work. We only saw each other on the weekends and not even every weekend.”

He nonetheless received permission from her father to foster a relationship. He said that the distance in particular was difficult but they nonetheless spoke every day, running up their phone bills in the process.

“Her parents used to complain bitterly but we still used to steal the calls, man,” he added.

Their relationship grew and continued even while he studied in the United States.

While abroad, they communicated via phone, letters and, when internet finally reached Essequibo, they would communicate via email. He explained that it was easier to deal with because they had experience with handling distance.

“In those six years we were never separated. I mean, we were separated by distance and time, but we always knew we were committed and we always knew we were together.”

The two eventually became one a year into Paul’s two-year Master’s programme. He then returned to the US, finished his Master’s and moved to Antigua. Malaika was already there; they were finally united for good. Their son, Ajani, was born in 2010 and their daughter, Adisa, was born in 2013.

“We’ve been married eight years now but have been in love with each other for 16 years,” Paul said with a smile.

TOUCHING LIVES

In Antigua, Paul’s music career continued to blossom. In the three years on the island he taught music. He also was appointed the Director of the National Choir of Antigua and Barbuda, one of the country’s top choirs. With this title, he made history by being the first non-Antiguan to hold the position. He admitted that it caused a lot of consternation amongst Antiguans.

He eventually moved on to Trinidad with Malaika and then 8-month-old Ajani. He currently resides there and, since 2011, has been lecturing at the University of the Southern Caribbean.

Paul also currently holds the title of Assistant Chief Examiner for CAPE Performing Arts in the area of music. He admitted that he was extremely proud of this position, which he received in 2012, and the opportunities it afforded him to help youngsters learn to love music.

He shared that helping persons and touching lives are important to him.

Most recently, a music education programme was launched by the new Ministry of Education and was facilitated by Cort. In fact, he had been the one to approach Minister Rupert Roopnaraine with the idea for the workshop after he heard the new government was pushing the introduction of music education into schools.

The workshop ended on Friday and included intensive sessions in music education aimed at the primary school level. By teaching educators how to teach music to children, Cort will ultimately foster the development of countless Guyanese children who would benefit from music classes in school. He stressed that he wants to help our teachers acquire skills they might not have gotten otherwise.

Both inside of Guyana and outside of it, Cort has been touching lives through his work.

“Over the years as a teacher, I’ve been able to show parents and students what the possibilities are. There are times when I’ve taken students who are extremely weak and pushed to a distinction level at Queen’s College. In fact, the first time I piloted external examinations in music, 30 of 39 students passed with distinction,” he said. He added that, wherever he goes, he strives to leave a piece of him behind. Some of his students have become successful organists and musicians.

“I’ve helped so many people academically but also socially. I don’t eat my bread alone and my wife is from the country and has a kind and big heart and only God knows the amount of persons who have passed through our home and have gotten a meal and lodging,” he said. He continued, “I’ve taken in students who had nowhere to live and I charged them nothing and there are Guyanese students who study at the university who have it rough but we could never let them go hungry. We are in the helping business. For me, it’s the best thing, because as a student in the United States I received that kind of undeserved help so every opportunity I get to help people, I do it because if it were not for the help of other persons who just wanted to be good, I would not be sitting here”.

“I have not done as much as I would like, because financially I am constrained, but I help.”

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

Though he has not lived in Guyana for a number of years, Paul admitted that it is here his heart is.

He explained that after he finished his Bachelor’s Degree, he had no desire to live anywhere but in Guyana. He said too that he had made a promise to his mentor, Miss Pieters, to come back and help his country. However, things did not go as expected.

“I came back and I walked Guyana from top to bottom searching for a job…and everything was just turned out. I was told that the positions existed but were not being advertised, for whatever reason. I spent a year languishing in Guyana around 2005 or 2006 working part-time at Queen’s College and part-time at a private school. So even though I had a degree I was earning very little.”

He added that he had received no support from the Government of the day so, with pain his heart, he was forced to eke out a living elsewhere.

He stressed though that he never lost interest in Guyana.

Rather, when asked what his future held, Paul said he hoped to one day move back to Guyana.

“My wife might kill me for that,” Paul said laughingly. He elaborated that his children’s education was extremely important to his wife and his son had just been accepted into one of Trinidad’s most prestigious private schools. “They teach the children everything from Spanish to Archery…the programme is so diverse and it’s a wonderful school,” he said. He added that getting into the school is extremely competitive.

“My biggest dream though would still be to return to Guyana and completely and thoroughly revolutionise music education in Guyana.”

However, he noted, he has established a life for himself in Trinidad and uprooting it would not only be difficult for him but also his entire family.

“I want to be able to afford to live and live decently. I don’t want to live like a ‘fat cat’, but I want to be able to do the same things if I return to Guyana,” he explained.

He said too that, for higher education, he hopes to one day aid in the development and proper functioning of the music programme at the University of Guyana, which has been defunct for a number of years.

Until then, Paul will continue to do what he does best – live, love and breathe music.

---

---