Margaret Baron: Her students are her legacy
By Guest
Portrait by Margaret’s daughter, Tanya Lichinsky
Editor’s note: The following is a tribute to Canton resident Margaret Baron, who was struck and killed, along with her husband, Boris, by a motorist while out walking near their home on Thursday, April 12.
By Maureen O’Brien
Like a nervous mother hen, Margaret Baron would bustle from room to room, taking coats and greeting her guests. With her beautifully coiffed hair and gracious smile, flowing dress and high heels, you would think a professional production was about to begin.
In truth, the occasion was a piano recital and the audience a mix of anxious students and proud family members. All were gathered in Margaret and Boris Baron’s tidy Shaw Farm Road townhouse to witness the fruits of hours and hours of practice at the keyboard.
With the patience and attention that she brought to every music lesson, Margaret would coax the best possible performance from her students. It didn’t matter if the tune was the simple strains of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” or the complex melodies of Beethoven — to Margaret, the music was everything.
While she also tutored adult students, her specialty was drawing out the talents of youngsters. Her style was the perfect blend of warmth and no-nonsense attitude that is the hallmark of great teachers. When a student hadn’t been practicing enough, she would spend extra lesson time on the basics and convince him to try harder next time. When a student’s interest in classical music waned, she would ask him to bring in his favorite pop songs and teach that tune instead.
And when recital time came around twice a year, Margaret would proudly announce each student’s name and usher her pupil to the piano bench, as the assembled group clapped politely. She would adjust the bench to just the right height, sit slightly behind the child, swaying to the music and willing them through any jitters or mistakes. At the conclusion, when every student had his or her moment in the spotlight, she would smile broadly and say, coyly, “And now maybe I will play?”
All eyes would be on Margaret as she sat down at last at her gleaming black piano. Her students and their families were awed by the speed and finesse with which she played Nocturne or Lara’s Theme from Dr. Zhivago. She seemed transported to a different place as she performed. When she had finished and the thunderous applause ended, she would proudly take a bow and say, “And now we eat!”
No recital was complete without a group photo, with Margaret arranging her smallest students on the bench and huddling her older students by height into several rows. She always stood in the same place, near the window, and beamed at the camera. In ten years of these photos, she doesn’t seem to have aged a day.
Tragically, Margaret and Boris Baron’s lives were cut short on April 12, 2012, when they were struck by a car while walking together near their home. Many of her pupils were able to attend a moving memorial service last week; a few students even returned to Margaret’s home and played piano for her grieving family.
Anyone who has been touched by Margaret’s passion for music is encouraged to contribute to MusicCounts!, a Canton-based program dedicated to the importance of keeping music a priority in children’s lives. Checks can be made payable to Town of Canton, with “Music Counts” on the memo section of the check, and sent to P.O. Box 182, Canton, MA 02021. Funds collected go toward music programs in all of the Canton schools. (You can also request that it go toward scholarships for music lessons for kids.)
A memorial concert and a YouTube recording of Margaret performing are also being planned. For more information on these activities, please contact Maureen O’Brien at mobrienphd@yahoo.com.
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