NORTH CANAAN — It began with a few guitar lessons two or three years ago. At North Canaan Elementary School, the head custodian’s office is across the hall from the music room. One day, Lester Robson watched music teacher David Gaedeke playing the guitar. Gaedeke was finally getting around to learning one of the few instruments he could not play.
“Lester said he always wanted to learn, too,� Gaedeke said. “I decided to offer him lessons, because he does so much for the school. He always goes above and beyond. I only gave him a few lessons. He soaked it up and was off on his own. He has a natural talent.�
The kindness would eventually come full circle.
Robson got into buying guitars, frequenting Route 7 Music in Brookfield. Last fall, he gave Gaedeke information on awards the store was offering through schools.
“It was a $500 store credit that could go to one student, or be divided between two,� Gaedeke said.
He applied on behalf of two students, and was informed the awards would be made at school spring concerts. But a few weeks before the May 13 concert in North Canaan, Gaedeke still did not have an answer.
So he contacted the store.
And was told his students had indeed won. Certificates were FedEx-ed overnight, just in time for the concert.
The surprised award winners were fourth-grader Matt Holderman, who has been taking lessons for some time and “has a real passion for it,� Gaedeke said; and Francesca Ghi, a seventh-grader Gaedeke described as having “a lot of musical irons in the fire.� She recently began talking guitar lessons and shows real promise, the teacher said.
While the awards will help the students further their musical education, Gaedeke is uplifted by the bigger picture of simple consideration for others, and how it can quickly balloon into greater things.
“It all happened because of Lester,� Gaedeke said, “who is, by the way, teaching me guitar now.�
Meg Sher, executive director of the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village.L. Tomaino 
Samir LanGusProvided
