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Teresa Duncan plays out Friday music at Dillingham Elementary

Isabelle Ross/KDLG

It’s the last Friday of the school year, and this morning, it was also the last music Friday at Dillingham Elementary. Teresa Duncan runs these weekly musical mornings for elementary students. This year, she’s retiring. 

Teresa Duncan has been teaching at Dillingham Elementary for 22 years, and she has been playing music with kids on Friday mornings for almost as long.

“It started out as an assortment of things," said Duncan. "We started out, a group of us, with a piano. We played jazz in here, and it was just big and loud.”

Friday morning music has changed over the years, but it’s still pretty big and loud. During her time at the school, Duncan has kept the music alive.

“The years when nobody else was willing to play," she said. "I just thought, ‘Well, I can play guitar and sing along with kids.’ So it’s been a couple decades.”

Duncan taught gifted and talented her first few years in Dillingham. She then moved on to special ed, kindergarten, first grade, and finally gym. She never taught music, but Friday mornings have become the highlight of her week.

“I see kids come in on Friday morning," Duncan said. "Some kids come in, you can just tell, they’re tired, they’re grumpy. They come in with this grumpy look, and they sit on the side. And pretty soon they’re smiling, and pretty soon they’re dancing, and it’s just a nice way to start a day.”

Duncan plans to stay in Dillingham after this school year ends.

Contact the author at isabelle@kdlg.org or 907-842-5281.

Credit Isabelle Ross/KDLG

Credit Isabelle Ross/KDLG
Credit Isabelle Ross/KDLG

Izzy Ross is the news director at KDLG, the NPR member station in Dillingham. She reports, edits, and hosts stories from around the Bristol Bay region, and collaborates with other radio stations across the state.
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