When he first picked up a clarinet as a young boy, Don Hamilton found himself able to play any song he heard on the radio. At age 15, he formed his own “swingtet,” which played West Virginia nightclubs on a weekly basis.

 

Yet, Hamilton didn’t learn how to read a note of music until he attended Fairmont State College. He went on to teach music in the school system and direct school bands – including Bridgeport High School and Bridgeport Junior High. He later served as coordinator of music education for Harrison County Schools and delighted in teaching and nurturing student talent. During that time, he was elected president of the West Virginia Music Educators’ Association. He has also served as assistant professor of music at his alma mater, Fairmont State, and taught music at both West Virginia Wesleyan College and Alderson Broaddus University.

 

Now, Hamilton’s mission is to teach adults – members of church choirs or aspiring instrumentalists – how to read music.

 

“Learning on your own seems overwhelming, joining a musical group and hoping for the best is out of the question and lessons are expensive,” he said. “You feel stuck, but you don’t have to feel stuck anymore.”

 

“Easy Steps to Reading Music” has been several years in the making. The talented and very humble Hamilton said several individuals have been equally important to the success of the book, including teachers and associates who prepared him to write it and those who have served in the important editing process.

 

“And, of course, there are those who encouraged me to finish a book that can help those people who like to sing, but are afraid to join the church or community choir because they never learned to read music,” he said.

 

During his career as a college professor, Hamilton said he developed a simple approach to teaching aspiring instructors how to lead general music courses in elementary schools. He had the opportunity to test the efficiency of his approach while teaching non-musicians in a course called Music Education for Classroom Teachers.

 

“The course was for elementary teachers who were required by law to teach music,” he said. “By the end of the course, my easy-to-use system – the same one that is presented in this book – had taught them to read music.”

 

The book also incorporates the methods of Zoltan Kodaly, a Hungarian musician, teacher and composer known internationally for his work in teaching music. During Hamilton’s 10-year tenure as music coordinator for Harrison County schools, he and his associates utilized a pilot program based on those very teachings, he said.

 

Hamilton has devoted his life to teaching and performing music. He still teaches private lessons, writes and edits music. Now, he is pleased and eager to continue his musical passion in yet another way.

 

"At first, I thought the book might be useful for small churches, but now I'm finding that even larger churches and other organizations have need for it," he said. "And it's for individuals, too. Reading music just might be something on someone's bucket list." 

 

Hamilton is willing to come on site to churches to present a workshop introducing his book. There is no charge for the demonstration. 

 

“Throughout both my professional career and personal life, music has brought me immeasurable joy,” Hamilton said. “I hope ‘Easy Steps to Reading Music’ will allow those whose love for music outweighs their musical knowledge to learn, join in and experience that joy too.” 

 

For more information, contact Hamilton at 304-848-0800.