A description of Gem Rohlehr-Vogt as a person passionate about life is an apt one. She is zealous about so many things — religion, music, literature, teaching — and the list can go on.
Yet it is very clear that music and teaching are two things that are very close to her heart.
A teacher by profession and a singer by nature is perhaps a good way to describe Gem Rohlehr-Vogt. “Singing is natural to me” she recently told The Scene.
Perhaps it is due to this “natural” skill that she was adjudicated the Overall Champion at the recently held Guyana Music Festival. She also captured the awards for the Best Adult Vocalist and the award for the Open Category at the festival with her heart-warming performance of Ivor Novello‘s classical piece “I Can Give You the Starlight”. Her vocals ranked right up there with those of the likes of Maria Callas, Leontyne Price, Katherine Jenkins and Kiri te Kanawa.
It may have been a case of third time lucky for the classical singer. She participated in the two previous festivals held in 1994 and 1997, where she captured various prizes. But the prize for the Overall Champion proved elusive.
For the singer, the Guyana Music Festival was always something to which she was attached since she grew up listening to persons performing at the festival.
According to her, a National Music Festival is important. She explained that such a festival presents an avenue to “showcase talents in our country, to develop new talent, to stimulate competition and also serves to make persons aware of their own talents”. That is why, she not only participates but she trains students to take part.
Mrs Rohlehr-Vogt told The Scene that one of the main reasons she participated this year was to have someone give an honest critique of her singing ability. She explained that the criticisms of professional persons can serve to improve a singer’s skills as opposed to the general reviews of persons.
For the singer, the recently held festival was a mixed experience. On one hand, she was pleased to see the return of the event after such a lengthy hiatus, but stated that the level of participation was disappointing, while some of performances were below the standard of a National Music Festival.
She was also disappointed at the absence of the classical instrument (the grand piano) from the competition. She said that apparently both the grand pianos at the National Cultural Centre are not in an operable state and similarly the piano at the Bishops’ High School (where most of the competition was held). Consequently, an alternative measure had to be put in place, which affected some performances. But being the experiences singer that she is, she was able to overcome whatever setbacks there may have been.
A classical singer possessing immense ability, Mrs Rohlehr-Vogt has been singing since she was five years old. Quite a bit of time has passed since those early days when she began singing in the Seventh Day Adventist Choir, where it was identified that she had potential to become a soloist.
According to her, she was influenced by her now deceased grandfather Edmond Rohlehr and her mother Lucille Rohlehr, who were both musically inclined. Her mother, she says, still sings.
Mrs Rohlehr-Vogt was also influenced by a school curriculum that emphasized singing and music, which only further developed her passion for music. Subsequently, she underwent formal training and is grateful to musical influences such as Henrique Mansook, Oscar Dummett, Terrence Fox, Edith Pieters and David Dewar, who helped to guide her along her musical path. Now, she is seeking to guide others along a similar path.
Not surprisingly, she is a teacher by profession and is currently the Deputy Head Mistress at Queen’s College.
There she teaches English Language and Literature, Communication Studies and Music; she places particular emphasis on singing.
As it relates to music, she says that it is essential that students be taught music in school. “Music balances the left and the right hemispheres of the brain,” she said. And she believes that it is important that young people be exposed to all genres of music. She said that they must have a choice and that they should be able to speak critically and intelligently about music.
Mrs Rohlehr-Vogt currently conducts a music education programme where she teaches students some music theory, singing and the recorder. She says that as a whole, parents do not view music education as very important and such would push the children into other areas.
She also called for more teachers to be exposed to music education. She said that back when she was a student at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) every student had to do music at least for a while. She called for a resuscitation of this programme both at the teachers’ training college and at the University of Guyana.
Meanwhile, Mrs Rohlehr-Vogt is critical of some of the policies of the Ministry of Education, saying that the introduction of assessments at the various levels is robbing children of the chance to live balanced lives. Children need a chance to explore the arts, whether it is music, drama, poetry, or art, she said, lamenting that now their time is consumed by extra lessons.
“We need finances to be pumped into music and the arts in school,” she said, adding that if this is not done, the younger generation will suffer.
These words were similar to those of the Head of the Guyana Music Festival Committee David Dewar, who spoke at the opening night of the festival. There, Dewar sounded a clarion call for the re-entry of real music into the Guyanese society. He recalled that back in the glory days, music was present in schools and called for a revival of those days. (markman10@hotmail.com)
