“It’s not the first time I’ve had problems,” said Rose, a father of three children ages 16-27. “I had vocal surgery one time and couldn’t talk about 20 years ago, before this school [at South Dade High]. I had to figure out a way of teaching without talking. You test different things. These kids have sensitized themselves to me more. They are caring. Not that they weren’t caring before but when things happen it bonds people. I thought my conducting style was one of my strengths, how I moved my hands. Now, I gesture. As long as I feel I have something to give they can benefit from, then I think I’ll still be here.”

And that, his students say, is the sweetest song.

“Even before, when he was able to move a lot, he didn’t. He’s honed this chorus so he doesn’t need to be in front to conduct to a T,” said Nicole Falco, 17. “He can just look at us as and we know.”

Rose, his students say, promotes individuality and teamwork simultaneously. The lesson served the choir well as they now work with their teacher to propel the program forward.

“It’s amazing to see how people, who are all different, come together for a certain purpose,” Nicole said. “We are a part of something bigger than just ourselves.”

Rose says the lessons work both ways.

“I’ve been teaching for 40 years and I tell them how I teach now is a reflection of all the students that I’ve come across in my path of teaching,” he said. “Every year they give me something. They encourage me and they demand things from me. The expectations change as I grow. I use music as a vehicle to teach life skills — skills that are good for citizenship and work ethics.”

Rose manages his ALS with life-style modifications, which include giving up his beloved two to three cups of coffee a day to avoid the detrimental effects of caffeine. “That was terrible,” he laughs.

Proving an example for young students is also an important part of his therapy.

“Bad things happen to everyone and successful people are the ones who overcome their challenges in life to become successful,” Rose said. “When the kids come in here they have to deal with what’s happening in their lives for them to be productive and successful in the future. They can’t allow negative things in life to hold them back. They have to find a way around it.”

Senior Frank Laucerica, 18, the president of the student advisory academy, first met Rose when he was in eighth grade and he auditioned to get into Coral Reef which, today, numbers 3,000 students.

“He’s an all-around cool guy,” Frank said. “There’s a physical difference in how he used to be and is now. Emotionally, there’s not much of a difference in his spirit. He makes you want to be a stronger person. Even though something is happening in your life, you can still work harder to overcome that. I love him a lot. Even though it breaks my heart to see him like this, it’s inspiring.”

Rose reflects for a moment on this outpouring from his students.

“I don’t want my illness to be a big deal,” he began, “but if I can teach them how to live through challenges, it’s one thing to tell them, but to live it in front of them. So we have our ups and downs and they are there for me. I know these kids are caring and do exceptional things and they are going to pass it on. They are going to pass it on.”

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