In February, Hampshire County lost one of its better-known former residents: Norinne (Jacobus) Tiley, who died after a fall in Florida. Her many contributions to music programs will long be remembered and appreciated by her friends and hundreds of her former students who participated in them.
News of Norinne’s passing spread quickly throughout the area and country to her former students and friends via Facebook and telephone calls. Their respect and love for her was clearly expressed in these communications. One former student posted on her Legacy site that this teacher “gave me the great gift of a love of music.”
I write today to reflect on her accomplishments and contributions.
Norinne was originally a resident of Turners Falls. After graduating from high school, she attended Tufts University in Boston. While at Tufts, she continued her lifelong interest in music, becoming the student conductor of the Tufts orchestra and drum major of the Tufts band.
Her senior year, she was a guest conductor at a Boston symphony concert. In the summer months, she traveled and performed with the “Kids from Home,” a group sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense and the State Department. Her time with this group took her throughout Europe, North Africa and Asia entertaining troops at military bases.
After graduating from Tufts, she pursued her love of music when she was hired in 1957 to teach students in Hadley. This meant being the band and choral director at Hopkins Academy as well as the music teacher for the elementary schools. In addition to instructing, directing and teaching, Norinne wrote, directed, and accompanied students in yearly variety shows which gave many students additional opportunities to learn and perform.
The 129-member Hopkins Academy band participated in the Expo in Canada and the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. In 1959, during the town of Hadley’s 300th birthday celebration, Hopkins hosted the Western Massachusetts Music Festival. This event drew over 20 bands that participated in a concert competition, which was followed by a parade of all of the bands.
After her 14 years at Hopkins, Norinne went to teach at the newly opened Hampshire Regional High School, where she started the band program. She again organized a variety of performances for her students at Hampshire Regional. In 1982 she moved to Northampton High School, where she entered her band in competitions and directed variety shows, as well as Broadway musicals, which again gave students opportunities to showcase their talents.
Noreen was a past president of the Massachusetts Music Educators Association and past director of All-State Band. She encouraged many former students to audition for the All-State Band and All-State Chorus.
She continued her own professional performances during summers, and on weekends, as a song stylist accompanying herself on the piano. She performed at the Hotel Northampton, the Schine Inn in Chicopee and finally, at the Jolly Bull in Hadley.
At the Jolly Bull, she often had guest performers that she accompanied, including some of her former students, as well as the singing waiters and waitresses who performed nightly at the Jolly Bull. After her retirement she lived with her husband, Howard “Bub” Tiley, in Hadley until they moved to Florida. She was 80.
Tributes about Norinne can be read online at www.lohmanfuneralhomes.com. “Norinne was a brilliant teacher and exceptional woman,” said one acquaintance. As another put it: “She was so incredibly and seemingly effortlessly talented, but her real skill was in nurturing the talent of others.”
Dennis Lee posted: “I will forever remember being on the Northampton stage singing — always our finale — ‘What I Did For Love.’ She loved what she did and we all are so thankful that we knew her.”
After hearing from so many of its members, the Alumni Association of Hopkins Academy decided to establish a scholarship in Norinne’s name. This scholarship will be awarded to a student beginning in 2017.
Contributions may be made to the Norinne Jacobus Tiley Scholarship Fund in care of the Alumni Association of Hopkins Academy at P.O. Box 386, Hadley, MA 01035.
Margaret Tudryn was a longtime friend of Norinne’s and her colleague at Hopkins Academy and Northampton High School.