Longtime elementary school teacher James Clark almost became an electrician.

“Initially, that was my interest, said Clark. “I always liked fixing things and tinkering with electronics,” Clark said.

His chalk wielding days might have never come to fruition if he hadn’t attended one career changing concert.

Clark, 57, retired at the end of this school year wrapping up a 34-year teaching career spent focused on music and drama.

Clark was born in Prince George as the third child in a family of six.

He was influenced to pursue teaching by his mother, who was a teacher herself.

“She was a great teacher, and I think that inspired me,” Clark said.

After graduating high school in Prince George in 1975, Clark spent a year in Edmonton attending bible school and after that found himself working in Penticton at one of the now defunct Woodward’s department stores.

He was going to get a degree to become an electrician before the fateful event.

“I went to my sister’s year-end band concert, and I thought, ‘You know, that’s what I really want to do,’” Clark said.

He said he wanted to be a music conductor, but had never considered music as a career choice until he saw that concert.

“That’s when it struck me that I could actually do music for a career,” he said.

Clark’s next step was to attend Okanagan College in Vernon. He was there for a year before transferring to Western Washington University in Bellingham, where he earned his teaching degree with majors in music and theatre.

Bellingham was also where Clark met his wife Diane. Like him, she was also obtaining a teaching degree, but the two didn’t meet through school. They ended up meeting at a Christian fellowship group.

They were married shortly after he graduated.

Together they had four children — three boys and a girl. Their two eldest sons were born in Abbotsford while their youngest son and daughter were born in Merritt.

Clark began his teaching career with a seven-year stint working in School District 34 in Abbotsford.

He taught music at nine schools, twice a week, with a schedule that only gave him about 10 minutes of travel time.

“I was really flying from school to school. It was crazy,” Clark said.

That hectic schedule eventually took its toll on Clark, who in 1988 took a job with School District 58.

In Merritt he taught music and drama at the former junior high school and travelled around town to Merritt’s elementary schools where he taught band.

After six years Clark was again faced with a turning point in his career, as travelling from school to school once again became hectic.

He could either leave Merritt to pursue teaching music elsewhere, or he could take a job as a general teacher.

He chose the latter, becoming a Grade 2 and 3 teacher at Merritt Bench Elementary for the next 21 years and even got to teach music!

Clark estimated he’s taught 2,000 students, some of whom he sees around town, and will stop to say hello.

“I really like that connection,” Clark said.

Clark took the earliest opportunity to retire with a full pension and said he wanted to do so when he still had the energy for the job.

“It really is a very, very demanding job and I’m just getting to the point where I’m getting tired,” he said. “I can’t keep up the pace anymore.”

Clark also wanted to be able to focus on initiatives in music while he still had some gas left in the tank.

But Clark’s teaching days will not be entirely over, however, as he plans to focus on being a grandfather.

His own children were all married within a 20-month span and are having children over a span of four months.

Three of the Clark’s four children live in Whitehorse, where James and Diane are currently for the birth of their second grandchild. They were just there this past March for the birth of their first.

In August James and Diane will be in Victoria for the birth of their third grandchild.

Clark said the births coming in such a close proximity was a fascinating experience.

Clark also plans to spend time promoting music and the arts in Merritt.