Jeanmarie Nash Bassett
From College of Fine Arts and Communications
Jeanmarie Nash Bassett graduated from BYU in 1981 with an Associate's Degree in Music Education.
In the Spring 2009 edition of BYU Magazine Bassett shared a tender encounter with one of her professors, Reid Nibley.
As a music major at BYU, I had spent another long day practicing in a small HFAC practice room, juggling loads of homework, and ushering at the de Jong Concert Hall. I stopped by the Cougareat for a late-night snack before heading back to my apartment.
On the other side of the Cougareat I noticed two individuals eating fries and ketchup. One was Professor Reid N. Nibley. Anyone in the music department readily recognized this musician as a wonderful, gentle man, extremely accomplished on the piano, brilliant in composition.
What made this experience unforgettable for me was noticing that the young girl who accompanied him was noticeably disabled. Cheerfully and messily, they sat in the booth eating their fries and ketchup. Brother Nibley was markedly tender, attentive, and affectionate.
I’ve often thought of this wonderful scene when I’ve heard the song I’ll Walk with You, found in the Church’s Children’s Songbook. The song, composed by this sometimes overlooked, quiet man and now sung by Primary children throughout the world, teaches of accepting those who may not talk or walk like most people do. Today, when I hear this song, I remember the late-night scene in a Cougareat booth with warmth, admiration, and deeper understanding.
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