Our Music Man, “MR. V”
Say “Mr. V” and hundreds of West Lafayette alumni will immediately smile and share a memory of this beloved music teacher. From 1972-2006, Gene Valentine, “Mr. V”, combined his love of music and teaching skills working for the West Lafayette Community School Corporation.
Growing up in Shelby County, Indiana, Valentine attended Triton Central High School. Recognizing Gene’s musical talent playing the saxophone and clarinet, his high school band director encouraged Gene to go to college. Valentine’s parents fortunately listened, and Valentine went to Indiana State University where he received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music and music education.
Valentine’s first job was in Brown County, Indiana, leading the band programs at four elementary schools. His next stop, before joining the West Lafayette Community School Corporation, was Danville, Indiana, where he started the marching band.
While he began his West Lafayette career as the high school band director and teacher, his longest tenure was in the elementary schools, at different times teaching at Burtsfield, Morton, Kingston, Happy Hollow, and Cumberland.
Valentine is perhaps best known for his dozens and dozens of musicals. In 1983 he produced his first musicals, “Kids for America” at Morton School and “Our Country ‘Tis of Thee” at Kingston. Over the next 23 years, he produced 45 musicals – 3 at Morton, 1 at Kingston, 2 at Burtsfield, 26 at Happy Hollow, and 13 at Cumberland Elementary. For the last 13 years of his career, he was assisted by parents and long-time school board member, Karen Springer. Together they put on 25 musicals. His musical productions strengthened the school/community bond by enabling students, teachers, parents, and others to work together.
He feels his greatest achievement was the close bonds he developed with the students and their families. He considers all the WLCSC kids to be his kids. Upon his retirement, Mr. V was gifted with a quilt made by talented parents, a musical memory that is treasured by Mr. V. Each square is made from t-shirts from many of his productions, such as “Winter Wouldn’t Wait,” “Sky Happy,” “Give Thanks,” “Wheels,” and “Dreamcatcher.”
As a former colleague wrote, “Gene Valentine was truly a beacon of light in our schools and community. He was kind, caring, endlessly helpful, and fiercely dedicated to being a thoughtful steward of music for our youngest learners. Gene believed children deserve excellence, and he delivered it.”