Music and Teaching Make the Man

Frank Fontaine connects a passion for music with a passion for teaching, and his students are the better for it. 

When you’re under your parents’ roof, the last thing you want to do is be just like them — at least that’s how it worked for Frank Fontaine, M.A.E. ’14. His father, Frank Sr., spent 10 years playing with the legendary Duke Ellington Orchestra, and Frank Jr. had no desire to pick up an instrument. But in elementary school, a teacher handed him a plastic recorder, and that moment just might have launched a music career that has included four Grammy nominations and led him to become a music educator.

“I wasn’t necessarily very good at that age, but music gave me a way to fit in,” Fontaine says. “I found my people through music.”

But it wasn’t until freshman year of high school that he really zoned in on music. “I attended a concert, watched the saxophone player and got the bug,” he says. “I dropped out of high school, jumped in a Winnebago with friends, and made a go of it.”

Fontaine’s approach to a musical career panned out. After finding a place in the music scene, he returned to his hometown of Los Angeles to finish high school. But to really buckle down, he needed to leave the West Coast. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to focus on school, that I’d be playing gigs,” he admits. “Moving to New York bought me a year or two of anonymity, so I was able to get through undergrad before returning to full-time playing.”

Fontaine pursued his undergraduate degree at the Manhattan School of Music, studying jazz performance and composition. Through connections he made there, Fontaine composed for well-known Latin jazz artist Wilson “Chembo” Corniel Jr., leading to a Grammy nomination in 2009. From there, Fontaine moved to New Jersey to obtain a teaching certification, thinking it would be a one- or two-year stint. “But I fell in love with it,” he says.

Recognizing that in teaching he had found a new and complementary passion, Fontaine began the Master of Arts in Education program at Seton Hall. There, he crossed paths with Joseph Martinelli, senior faculty associate in the Education Studies department, who became his teaching mentor.

“I was far out of my comfort zone, but he helped me find my footing and plot a forward trajectory,” Fontaine explains.

Today, Fontaine is a music teacher and the band and orchestra leader at L.A.’s McAuliffe Middle School. He’s also continuing his education, remotely pursuing a doctorate in music education at Boston University.

Martinelli says that while he gets to know all his students, Fontaine stood out. “I thought his music background was amazing,” he says. “He was creative, took risks and had a lot on his plate. He was always happy and everyone knew him — he’s a great conversationalist.”

Connections matter
Fontaine has gone on to earn three more Grammy nominations, and has worked with Patti LaBelle, Mariah Carey, Celia Cruz and many others. He remains humble about his role in their music, but in hindsight, can clearly see how he came to work with them. “The music industry is built on social capital,” he explains. “You don’t have to be the most talented person in the world. But if you know the right people and position yourself well, you can move forward.”

Fontaine says he’s learned a great deal from the celebrities he’s worked with. “Patti LaBelle is a big personality, but she’s also very patient and advocates for giving people a shot,” he says. “Mariah Carey demonstrates incredible work ethic. She influences me in so many ways beyond her money, beauty and stardom.”

In his role as an educator, Fontaine brings his music passion to the table but also seeks to teach his students that there’s no uniform way to match up talent and connections. He’s just returned from two jazz competitions, with his students, demonstrating the flip side of the social capital coin.

“It’s my responsibility to make them aware of the fact that hard work and life events set us up for success,” he says. “The more I can illuminate that for my students, the better off they’ll be.”