Pam Woods ’74
Jazz Entertainer, Bahamas

Please describe your work:
I taught for almost 30 years and was a weekend entertainer.  I thought I would never make a living as an entertainer, so teaching provided income while I did what my heart desired on stage.

I’m still a teacher, but I’m also a professional performer. I use all the skills of a teacher to pull and draw out audiences. Sometimes there is no response – like a class – and you wonder if you are getting through. I still use the tricks of the classroom.

When I made the transition to singing and playing piano full time, I had a principal who would introduce me as “international recording artist, Pam Woods.”  I’ve played in Russia, Dubai, Scotland, Switzerland, and Canada. 

How did you end up doing what you are doing?
In Mary Commons, there was a rickety old piano. I played it and sang, anytime day or night, and it was healing. There are those times where you can’t explain why you are lonely, and I would play and sing at the top of my lungs. Just belt it out. 

Then, Sister Marie decided to pull the music out of me. She gave me voice lessons. I didn’t know I could sing. At Saint Ben’s, I learned to sing in Latin, German and French. When the door opens, you have to go through it. Saint Ben’s was that door for me.

Which aspects of your CSB experience have helped you in your achievements?
The sheer belief that the Sisters at Saint Ben’s had in me, when I think about it, was the gift of God.  

Professor Axel Theimer also was supportive. I was at a choir function and was the only black person in the choir. A little girl was pointing at me and calling me the “N” word. This was in the early 70s, you understand, in this little town of St. Joseph. When I realized she meant me, I burst out crying. Professor Theimer sent a letter to the junior high school where we had performed, and I felt on top of the world.  I thought – look at this professor . . . he was so supportive. 

I could never forget the children’s curiosity in St. Cloud. The children would want to touch my skin and say “You’re soft like me.” My daddy said, “Just love people.  If you learn to love, you have learned the deepest secret.”  The second secret is to forgive.  Forgiveness is a wonderful healing power. 

Saint Ben’s gave me life. I was the girl – like any girl on the island – who could have been here her whole life with 8 kids, no education, no money, and her only hope is for her children. That’s a lot going against the grain. I would not be one of the many numbers with little hope. 

What are the challenges of what you do? 
There is no glamour. It is a lot of hard work. We still get up early in the morning; we do our own costumes, our own bookings. We have bills to pay, and families to raise. We cook and clean for ourselves. I think people normally think there is a big salary, and there can be a big salary. Not always, though.

What advice would you give to young people today who are thinking about your kind of work or to young people in general?
Learn your craft. Explore all possibilities. Expand on the experiences of your forefathers so that you may stand on their shoulders.

Institutional Advancement
College of Saint Benedict
St. Joseph, MN 56374
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