I Was Michael Jackson’s First Music Teacher. I Knew Right Away.

Anita Hill, 92, a former music teacher in Gary, reflects on discovering a young Michael Jackson’s extraordinary voice at school choir practice and how encouraging him to sing “Climb Every Mountain” helped spark the beginnings of his legendary music career.

This account has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Most people know Michael Jackson as one of the most famous entertainers the world has ever seen. I remember him as the little boy who loved to sing.

In the early 1960s, I started my first year as a music teacher in Gary. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew I had to help the other teacher teach music to over 1,000 kids, and I hoped that they knew the difference between a rhythm and a beat.

Every day, I’d have them come in and sing the date, time, planets in the solar system, or even all 50 states in the country. Those kids were going to know how to keep their minds engaged day-to-day. 

And I remember the day I heard his little voice.

As I went through the students in my class and walked around, listening to each of their voices, one voice stood out. I remembered thinking, whose extraordinary voice is that?

There stood this little boy whose voice seemed bigger than he was.

When I asked him his name, he said, “Michael Jackson.” I grabbed him and told him he was going to sing in my choir, and I remember the spark in his eyes. 

Every choir practice, he’d be right there in his seat, ready to sing.

When he’d get in trouble at school, because he enjoyed listening to and singing music more than schoolwork, we’d have to tell him that he couldn’t sing if he didn’t do his classwork. 

You would’ve thought that I told him that he could never sing. 

When the school rescheduled practice or events, he’d protest, and when I needed a line leader, as the youngest amongst the middle school choir, he’d lead the line proudly.

At this point, while his brothers were known for singing, no one knew that he could sing. 

As part of my job with the PTA, I put on a program in which I asked Michael to sing “Climb Every Mountain” from The Sound of Music. His parents sat in the front row and couldn’t believe the voice that they were hearing. 

That was the first time a lot of people heard what I had already heard in choir practice. I’ve always believed that performance changed things for him.

After that, I was always trying to keep him in choir, but his father had him rehearsing with his brothers and performing.

People can say what they want, but I’ve always believed “Climb Every Mountain” was where it all started.

Mr. Jackson was firm, and I only got to work with Michael as long as I was permitted. But during that time, I encouraged him, challenged him and gave him opportunities to use his gift.

I saw something special in him before most people did. I’m proud I got the chance to encourage that gift.