10/25/2020
Sending thoughts and prayers to the Brandt’s.
Dear Deerfield Community,
It is with great sadness that I share the news that Judy Brandt, a long-time vocal music teacher, mentor, colleague and friend, passed away last evening shortly after midnight with her children by her side. Judy battled health challenges for years and suffered several setbacks but she always seemed unstoppable. She bounced back, a little lighter each time, but continued her passion for performing and directing children and adults. The stories we all could share are endless, the hours she spent here at school and with our kids are too many to count and the lives she has influenced through her mentorship reach far and wide into our community and many others.
Judy had this way of motivating kids to be more than they thought they could be on their own. She took young voices with squeaks and giggles and built them into confident young people who would stand in front of a room full of watchful eyes or on a stage with nerves in a bundle. Nevertheless, they would begin singing (most of the time) when she began playing because they knew she believed in them and they didn’t want to let her down.
She was a true champion for kids of all abilities because she knew the value of being a part of something bigger than ourselves whether you were singing center stage, part of a dance chorus or setting the stage until last curtain. Her passion for music and kids has provided thousands of her students, past and present, with some of the best memories of their childhood years.
We, parents, weren’t exempt from this attention. Judy could get you to say “yes” to things before you knew what you were committing to. One phone call and you may find yourself agreeing to sew costumes, build a stage set (or three) or drive to Janesville to pick up a car prop for the musical. She gave new meaning to, and truly lived out the adage, “it takes a village to raise a child.” If you lived in her village, you were fair game for a call.
Of course, Judy never really retired but instead took on children’s choirs, men’s choirs and women’s choirs all while coming back to Deerfield to continue with our music program. As if that weren’t enough, she envisioned a Deerfield-Cambridge area summer theater program for children and adults which continued her legacy of encouraging music in the lives of many. What a treasure those summer days and evening practices have been over the years.
My family and I have had the privilege of Judy’s energy and passion over many years. I’m forever blessed and thankful for her friendship through school and church and her mentorship to my children. They, like so many, many others benefitted from the gifts she gave them in ways they likely never knew were developing inside themselves until the last note was played and the final curtain closed. And even then, Judy still had the last word by grabbing a microphone and thanking us all for coming.
Now, we thank her for coming into our lives in so many ways. For gifting us with the joy of music while instilling in us the sure confidence that we are more than we imagined ourselves to be. Her legacy lives within so many so we will be doing some thoughtful planning on how we can honor and celebrate her. As those plans develop, I will share with the community.
As for today, a Sunday, I’m sure that she has found a beautiful pipe organ to play with a choir of angels to direct (and a few reluctant ones she is recruiting standing off to the side).
As we grieve this loss and reflect on memories of The Wonderful Judy Brandt (as the kids would say), please share your memories and photos in the comments.
Sincerely,
Michelle Jensen
District Administrator
