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Man behind the music Strings teacher composes piece for Youth Symphony

Spotsylvania middle-school strings teacher finds passion in orchestra

Date published: 4/23/2006

By KATHLEEN LEWIS

By KATHLEEN LEWIS

Next weekend, strings teacher Donald Olah will listen to the sound that flows from the thrust and tug of bows on strings, from the practiced placement of fingers and from the pleasure that comes when a musician's soul is stirred by the voice of the instrument he is playing.

Olah, who teaches at Freedom Middle School in Spotsylvania County, will be in the audience when the Rappahannock Youth Symphony performs a composition that he wrote for its 10th anniversary celebration.

The strings teacher has arranged music and produced original compositions since 1999, when he started teaching at Lee Hill Elementary School in Spotsylvania.

But this piece is special because it is his first commissioned work. With it, he had artistic freedom and didn't have to worry about whether it would have commercial appeal.

But there is another reason why the piece is special to Olah. The 49-year-old Spotsylvania resident composed the music for strings.

In Virginia schools, "orchestra" generally refers to stringed instruments, while "band" refers to woodwind, percussion and brass.

It took Olah about 21/2 years as a band director to realize that he was made to teach orchestra.

Olah grew up in Irwin, Pa., in a home where his parents supported his musical endeavors. With trumpet in hand, Olah joined the band in fourth grade.

"I wasn't very good, so I switched to tuba," he said.

Olah remained a tuba player through high school. He majored in tuba at West Virginia Wesleyan College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in music education. Then he earned a master's degree in music from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Olah said he chose a career in music over a career in science because, even though he was intrigued by both, music was fun.

When he finished his musical education, Olah expected to slip into the comfortable seat of band director and put his career on cruise control.

He got a job at a high school in Chesterfield County. The catch was that he had to teach a middle-school strings class.

Prior to teaching the class, Olah's only contact with the violin was in a required college class. Music education majors have to learn the basics of teaching all instruments.

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Date published: 4/23/2006