STORY and PHOTO BY DIANE A. RHODES
Two music concerts at Hemet High School this week will not only be the final performance for some 20 graduating seniors but also will be the final shows for choral music instructor Bonnie Pumphrey, who is retiring after more than 40 years as an educator. “I got my first job as an elementary general music teacher in 1970 at the school where I attended elementary (in Illinois),” Pumphrey said. “I even worked for the same principal who was there when I was a kid.” Pumphrey, 67, worked there about four years before moving to California and taking a break to raise a family before returning to work in 1981. “I’ve been involved in the music scene ever since, either through school or as director of music at a church,” Pumphrey said. “I can’t imagine life without music.” She began working for Hemet Unified in 1993, first at Valle Vista and Whittier elementary schools. The following year, she helped open Dartmouth Middle School and taught there for five years before joining the Hemet High faculty in 1999. She also worked at Mt. San Jacinto College for 10 years – from 1981 to 1985 and from 2008 to 2014. “I have sung since early childhood, both in choirs and as a soloist,” Pumphrey said. “I was fortunate to be in a school district that supported music and have seen many lives transformed by it. It’s truly a powerful force.” Both her parents were teachers as well as several other family members. “Back then, careers for women were limited, and when given the choice of the typewriter, the thermometer/needle and the classroom, I chose the classroom,” she said. “Today, I can’t imagine doing anything else.” About 70 students will be participating in Hemet High’s “Defining the Decades” pops concert today and Friday. Singers from every grade level are included in the three choirs that make up the school’s choral program. Songs from the 1950s to today will be presented by members of the Chambers Singers, Concert Choir and Advanced Women’s Choir. “I always try to find tunes that complement one another and exhibit the skills of every group that performs in them,” Pumphrey said. “I also try to find pieces that students can relate to or pieces that reflect social, political or other current happenings, both around the school and elsewhere.” Senior Crystal Estrada is the Concert Choir representative and also a mem ber of the advanced women’s (competition) choir. She said Pumphrey has helped her a lot during the years. “I feel like my technique has gotten better, and she taught me how to push myself more,” said Estrada, 17. “I think I’ll always hear her voice in the back of my head when I’m singing saying, ‘Don’t breathe here,’ ‘Stand up straight and watch your posture.’ ” Pumphrey said she will miss the energy and enthusiasm of young people. “They tell me jokes, they keep me entertained and they keep me hopeful about the things that are positive in life,” she said. CONTACT THE WRITER: [email protected] IF YOU GO
What: Hemet High School’s “Defining the Decades” pops concert When: 7 p.m. today and Friday Where: Hemet High’s Murray Theater, 41701 E. Stetson Ave. How much: $5 Info: 951-765-5150