Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship for the White River Valley Herald
RANDOLPH -For more than 30 years, Marta Borgstrom taught music in Randolph, Vermont, shaping generations of students and contributing to the town’s musical life as a teacher, accompanist, and chorus director.
Now, at 75 years old, Borgstrom — who was recently diagnosed with macular and cataract degeneration — is spending her time memorizing the songs that have long brought her solace so that she can still play them on the piano when her eyesight declines.
Despite the challenges Borgtrom has faced, her love for teaching music and the greater Randolph community has been unwavering.
Borgstrom knew from the time she was in the 6th grade that she wanted to be a music teacher. The New Jersey native grew up in a large, musical family — she has five siblings — and points towards her colorful upbringing as the reason she pursued piano playing professionally.
“We would have musical Saturdays where we would be at our grandparents’ house. She would just play music and we’d dance around and sing,” Borgstrom said. “I can remember sitting next to [Aunt Doris] at the piano when I was about four and just hitting the keys, thinking I was making music. It was a great influence on me.”
After graduating from William Patterson University with a degree in teaching in 1971, she was hired for her first job as a music teacher in her home state.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Borgstrom family moved to Vermont. Borgstrom would visit whenever she had time off from work. After 6 years of teaching in New Jersey, she decided to make the move up to Vermont in 1977, after she found a similar job in music education in Winooski.
Borgstrom first discovered the town of Randolph while living with a friend from the area. She recalls her first time visiting the town: “[My roommate] brought me here for a weekend in ’77,” Borgstrom said. “There was a musical production at the big white church — Bethany Church. … It was packed, everybody came to see this and we had tickets. I knew right away that this is the place I want to be.”
When a music teaching job opened up in Randolph in 1980, Borgstrom leapt at the opportunity to join her dream community. This would mark the start of Borgstrom’s 31 years of teaching music at Randolph Elementary School.
Borgstrom’s specialty was in classroom music, a type of musical education that focuses on music fundamentals, harmonies and singing.
Marta’s longtime friend and colleague Majorie Drysdale notes how generations of Randolph students loved Marta.
“There’s so many kids that remember her, and now their kids and even those kids have kids,” Drysdale said. “I mean, she runs into the kids she taught, their kids and their grandkids […] the kids know her and they’re so polite and so respectful and you realize what it’s like to be someone like Marta,” says Drysdale.
On top of teaching at the elementary school, Borgstrom contributed to her community in other ways. She was the accompanist and musical director at Chandler Music Hall, a center for music that holds a variety of events from youth musicals to operas, from 1999 to 2020.
She was also the accompanist, singer, and eventually the director of the Randolph Singers, a volunteer community chorus. Marta was a part of the group for 43 years, directing the choir for 2 years at the tail end of her career.
In 2009, Borgstrom retired from Randolph Elementary School at the age of 61. After seeing her role be reduced to 4 days a week instead of the usual 5, Marta thought it was time to retire from the classroom.
Today, Borgstrom teaches one-on-one piano lessons at her home to students. Although she has the goal of students enjoying the lessons and honing their piano skills, she hopes her students remember something else about her.
“I just hope […] what they love coming here is not just for a lesson. They love my cats. I’m sorry, they just absolutely love my cats,” Borgstrom said, laughing .”But we always have a great rapport with one another and I can kid and joke with them.”
Despite enjoying her retirement, Borgstrom has experienced some challenges, specifically with her eyesight. Four years ago, she started to see a decline in her vision, and has since been diagnosed with macular and cataract degeneration.
Her vision has improved recently, thanks to surgery, but the disease is progressive and will continue to worsen over time.
Despite her eye problems, Borgstrom is pushing ahead with her musical career. She continues to teach lessons and has the goal of memorizing a few of her favorite piano pieces to have in her repertoire before she completely loses her vision.
“The irony is that it’s not as easy to memorize now as you get older, so you have to work at it,” Borgstrom said. “But that’s what my plan is”
Outside of teaching lessons, Borgstrom enjoys knitting, going on walks in town, and participating in weekly game nights where Borgstrom and her 3 friends play Rummikub. She has even become a regular at the Gifford Auxiliary Thrift Store, describing thrifting as “therapy.”
Looking back, Borgstrom sees the piano lessons she and her sister took as kids as an essential stepping stone — one that ultimately shaped both of their careers in music education.
Borgstrom said that affording the piano lessons, “Was a great sacrifice for my family.” Borgstrom continued, “It’s been a wonderful thing for us together. Every once in a while, we remind each other how grateful we are.”