Baton is Passed at Lincoln School

After teaching music at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School for 29 years, Paul Jacobson is passing the baton to Mike Tangorra, his one-time student teacher.

Jacobson can boast that he has given the gift of music to more than a thousand children since 1981.

During that time he worked with many student-teachers, but in 2007 he took Tangorra under his wing, not knowing that the young man would one day return to carry on his quest for teaching music.

Tangorra comes from Prairie Oak School in Berwyn, where he taught for two years. Upon hearing of Jacobson's retirement plans, he quickly applied for the position.

A dream comes true

Tangorra's love of music began when he became enamored with the guitar. 

He played in a jazz band at Hinsdale South and, inspired by Jimi Hendrix, also played guitar in a few garage bands.

Tangorra went on to attend Columbia College in Chicago and the Guitar Institute of Technology (currently called the Musician's Institute) in Hollywood, Calif., where he learned from a number of experienced guitarists.

"There were some great old rockers there. I'll never forget Tim Bogert. He was in Vanilla Fudge back in the '70s," Tangorra said with a smile, recalling the eccentric rocker.

Back in Illinois, he started giving lessons while working toward his educational teaching degree at Chicago State University, which eventually led to the Prairie Oak teaching job.

Soon enough, Tangorra learned of the available Lincoln position and his wife Nora, former Lincoln Lion, encouraged him to seek out Jacobson.

"You have to go see this guy," she told him. "He makes it all so fun."

Opening chords

On a recent afternoon, Tangorra walked around his new classroom, putting on the finishing touches for the start of the school year.

The school is more than 100 years old, lending it some odd nooks and crannies. For example, it contains three chambers with windows designed as practice rooms, which now also double as storage for the music club's ever-growing collection of instruments.

Tangorra opened one of the room's many closets, revealing a set of snare drums that are nearly as old as the school itself.

Much of the instrument collection can be traced back to Jacobson, Tangorra said, including many exotic African instruments.

But instruments aren't Jacobson's only legacy.

Tangorra plans to stay in touch with Jacobson, who will continue to volunteer at Lincoln this year.

While Tangorra appears comfortable in the music room at Lincoln, he said the new position —  teaching kindergarten through 5th grade, with an additional music club for fourth and fifth graders — has him a bit rattled.

"I'm ready to go," he said. "And at the same time, a little nervous."