This week’s column was sparked by a recent email from a former music student. 

I must start off with my oft-repeated phrase, “My goal is to leave this earth with no known enemies,” but over time, I’ve come to realize that I am a polarizing figure. 

While nothing can be done about haters or spiteful people, I do my best to get along with everyone, but in one area, I’ve failed miserably. 

Confession: I’ve ruined a lot of good music for some people, and surely, they hold that against me. 

This is about music, but more about how it is used. 

Many years ago, it came up in a staff meeting at Wallaceburg District Secondary School that students arriving late for class had reached epidemic levels. 

In my days as a student, if one arrived late to class too often there would be consequences, the dreaded office detentions! 

However, over time the effectiveness of office detentions was watered down by essentially bartering with students by offering “amnesty days” where one could trade five office detentions for one, simply by showing up, but I digress. 

Eventually, arriving late for class had zero consequences and students took advantage of that, so it was no surprise that the “late problem” had become so huge. 

At that staff meeting, I came up with an idea and much like the Grinch, I came up with a “wonderful, awful idea.” 

I was going to use music to get them to class on time.  

I began by searching out songs that had something to do with time, moving along, hurrying up, walking, etc. 

It’s important to realize that this occurred long before YouTube, music sharing platforms and all........

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