You can call Stephen Richardson a musician, you can call him a music teacher, but you canSA国际影视传媒檛 call him anything without first describing him as a Juno Award winner.

The music teacher at Ecole St. Joseph earned the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award at the Junos in Halifax on March 24. It was the third time he had been nominated for the honour and second consecutive year. The win came with a $10,000 prize for Richardson himself and a sizable contribution to the schoolSA国际影视传媒檚 music program courtesy of MusiCounts.

He arrived back home on Tuesday and spoke with SA国际影视传媒 that evening about what it was like being the best music teacher in Canada for at least the next 12 months.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 interesting, you know?SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 donSA国际影视传媒檛 look like your usual music teacher, but the whole evening was really unique.SA国际影视传媒�

Richardson was one of five nominees from around the country up for the honour, and while it may seem like it was third timeSA国际影视传媒檚 the charm, Richardson said it meant a bit more knowing that it happened in his home province.

SA国际影视传媒淚 didnSA国际影视传媒檛 go into it thinking I would win,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 had my family and friends I went to university with there at the (Scotiabank Centre). When they announced the nominees, they stayed on me for a couple of extra seconds and I noticed a camera to my left getting closer.SA国际影视传媒�

He kept looking for the red light on that particular camera to signify that things were live, he added, and then he heard his name announced by Nelly Furtado, host of the eveningSA国际影视传媒檚 proceedings.

SA国际影视传媒淣ow the camera is right on top of me,SA国际影视传媒� said Richardson. SA国际影视传媒淲hen I turned around and shook DaveSA国际影视传媒檚 (Dowe) hand, I thought I had punched him in the chest at first (laughs).SA国际影视传媒�

Dowe, who has been playing in bands with Richardson for several years, was RichardsonSA国际影视传媒檚 guest at the show and made the trip to Halifax with him.

Once he had won, he was ushered off to the next adventure.

SA国际影视传媒淚 get taken underneath the building and we go over to the convention centre side of the complex,SA国际影视传媒� said Richardson. SA国际影视传媒淧eople with walkie-talkies are leading you through and we end up in this room with about 50 or so reporters and theySA国际影视传媒檙e all asking questions. It felt like what Joe Biden or someone like that would go through.

SA国际影视传媒淭hen we go to another room and thereSA国际影视传媒檚 (music duo) Tegan and Sara and (artist) TALK there with me,SA国际影视传媒� he continued. SA国际影视传媒淚 read a letter from the previous winner and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 where I got to hold the Juno for the first time. If youSA国际影视传媒檝e never held it before, you donSA国际影视传媒檛 realize how heavy it is SA国际影视传媒� it must weigh at least four or five pounds.SA国际影视传媒�

That wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 the real one that heSA国际影视传媒檒l get to keep; the real one will arrive later with the proper engraving of his name and category, he said.

Richardson then went to have some publicity photos done with the award itself. How would he do this, he wondered?

SA国际影视传媒淒o I strike the George Costanza pose from Seinfeld or do I do rock star photos?SA国际影视传媒� he joked.

But perhaps the big moment of the evening was getting the invite to play at what was known as the Jim Cuddy Jam Suite, a giant after-party for VIPs who were part of the show. As Richardson described it, itSA国际影视传媒檚 a big circle of chairs where people sit around and play as if it was a giant jam session.

Getting inside would be the first hurdle, though.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou need to know people to get in or you need to be on the list,SA国际影视传媒� said Richardson. SA国际影视传媒淒ave and I were stopped at the front and they asked who we were. I told them who I was and they asked me if I was SA国际影视传媒渢heSA国际影视传媒� teacher. I told them yes, and we got to go in. MusiCounts was the key because if I didnSA国际影视传媒檛 say that, we werenSA国际影视传媒檛 getting in.SA国际影视传媒�

Even though he didnSA国际影视传媒檛 return to school until this past Wednesday, Richardson said there were some fellow staff members he bumped into beforehand who offered congratulations.

He even thought of a way to possibly get into the school that first morning back without being recognized.

SA国际影视传媒淓veryone knows me because of my big beard and so I thought maybe I would shave it off and go in disguise,SA国际影视传媒� he joked. SA国际影视传媒淭he main thing for me, though, is the kids. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 what it all comes down to. They come down to the music room and for some of them, itSA国际影视传媒檚 a way to be themselves. It could be social for them. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 all about giving them what they need and helping them write their own ticket in life.SA国际影视传媒�