DURHAM — The career and work of Durham music teacher and performer Tracy Marek is being honoured with induction into The Arts-Sciences-Lettres Society de Paris, a respected art and educational society based in France.
“This award is based around the body of work, my career in education and performance,” said Marek.
The Whitby-based musician can play a range of instruments and specializes in the piano and organ. He has a degree in music from Western University, along with a teacher’s college degree and a masters in education.
During his career as a music teacher for the Durham District School Board, Marek taught at Pickering High School, Henry Street High School in Whitby, Alexander Graham Bell Public School in Ajax, Frenchman’s Bay Public School and Vaughan Willard Public School in Pickering. He went on to become the principal of College Hill Public School in Oshawa and retired two years ago.
“On the teaching side there’s so many rewards in working with young musicians. Helping them grow and develop. Encouraging them and creating opportunities for them,” said Marek. “Over a long career some of them go on and do great things.”
Marek’s jazz band, Trac4!, has been performing together for more than a decade. He is the choir director for the County Town Singers and the piano accompanist for the Durham Community Choir from Durham College.
“In performing you’re really on the spot with your skill level and having to keep up,” said Marek. “I like good music, good quality music over a range of style.”
He is also the organist and choir director for two rural Clarington churches. He has been the organist at Ebenezer United Church in Courtice for two-and-a-half years, and at Maple Grove United Church in Bowmanville for the past nine months, after their organist retired last June. The churches share a minister and Marek as the organist. Currently his favourite hymn is Be Still, My Soul, a peaceful hymn set to a beautiful piece of music called Finlandia, by composer Jean Sibelius.
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“The choirs are very eager to do well,” said Marek. “It’s very important to them to have a church choir and that choir be on every Sunday. They want to learn and sing their best. They’re a pleasure to work with.”
The Arts-Sciences-Lettres Society de Paris was founded in 1915 and dedicated to the education and encouragement of the arts and sciences. Each year new inductees into the society are celebrated at a ceremony in Paris. This June, Marek will be at the Hotel InterContinental Paris Le Grand to be formally included in the list of Arts-Sciences-Lettres Society de Paris members; which also includes physicist Marie Curie, explorer Jacques Cousteau, violinist Yehudi Menuhin — and Marek’s own wife, respected local artist Lynn Marek.
