Teacher/Mentor, The People We Knew

It would seem silly to limit the life and career of J. Brian Steeves (d. 2007) to “music teacher,” although that is certainly his legacy. “Mr. Steeves,” as he was known throughout his professional career as a choral director at Kingston High School in New York, opened many of us to the world of great musical traditions.

Always demanding, always professional, Mr. Steeves modeled for me a pathway into the world of music education. While I eventually chose to focus on university teaching in my own career, I nevertheless carried with me the influence of Steeves’ intense preparation he brought to every aspect of his job. In my 30s I remembered that one of my life’s ambitions was to drive a Volkswagen Beetle, and I chuckled as I recalled that it was for the very reason that Steeves drove a Beetle. In fact, “Becoming Mr. Steeves” could easily be a chapter in my never-to-be-written autobiography. “Even beauty must die,” we sang (Brahms, Nänie), and 45 years later I still hum and occasionally sing through my memories of this influential man.

Gregory Melchor-Barz, December 2020

1911–1986

Educator, journalist

It was 1955. I was a sophomore in high school, then called the New York School of Printing (later renamed the High School of Graphic Communication Arts) in New York City. If I took the journalism class I could avoid gym (nerdy even then).

I almost never had to go to gym and became the first-ever managing editor of the Student Printer, NYSP’s now-and-then newspaper (written by the students and heavily copy-edited by Ben).

Ben was a dedicated teacher who regularly turned down posts at the Board of Education because he found working directly with students to be his calling. Unusual then, and still, Ben’s wife Mildred was involved with his efforts and in the teaching of his students. Not at school, and not on the payroll, but she was very much involved with us, mostly after graduation. Otherwise childless, we became Ben and Mildred’s family.

The NYSP Press Club was a membership group of journalism students who chose to affiliate with the newspaper and school magazine. Its once-a-year function was the Press Club dinner at the end of the school year. In its early years the dinner was held at the Advertising Club on Park Ave and was a plush event in a venue of a kind that few students at that school were familiar with. In later years it was held at the Overseas Press Club of which Ben was a member. There was always a celebrity journalist guest speaker, the caliber of whom was invariably high. Some that I recall were Victor Reisel, Fred Friendly, Geraldo Rivera, and, of great-author fame, Kurt Vonnegut.

Otto Barz, April, 2019