Who am I?

I was incredibly fortunate enough to have a phenomenal music teacher in elementary school. Actually, I really had incredible music teachers all throughout my education, but that is where it really began. My teacher genuinely believed in the importance of performing. Every year she put together performances for each grade level. Each year we had the opportunity to perform for our friends, classmates, parents, and teachers. We developed enormous pride in our work, and thoroughly enjoyed the process.  This passion that was cultivated in the earliest years of my education followed me. Even if at first I didn't realize I really wanted to pursue a career with music, I knew I never wanted to stop. And I never plan to.

In his book Teaching Music with Purpose, Dr. Boonshaft's genuine and thoughtful approach to education inspired me. I believe that music is one of the most powerful tools educators have. It is a universal art that everyone can enjoy and connect with. If we approach music education with the same sense of wonder, dedication, and compassion as Dr. Boonshaft describes in his book, music educators can truly change lives.

I believe that performance is a vital part of every student's education. Providing students with opportunities to perform creates a window for so much growth. I worked as a paraprofessional for a second grader for a few months, each week I looked forward to the 40 minutes we got to spend in music class. Whenever the teacher played a song he loved, or they started working on a new song he would close his eyes and move his head to the music. His grin was so large that I knew in that moment he heard and understood the beauty in the music. As a teacher, I believe it is our job to nurture that love of music. Through performances students learn cooperation, they learn how to work with others to create a work of art. They must learn how to blend with their fellow musicians. This cooperation helps them to build a community. Music will also teach students to support each other, they will learn to congratulate their classmates on their handwork and appreciate each other's gifts.

Through music, students also have the opportunity to explore other cultures. At UConn we had a program called Opera Outreach. Through this program, voice majors would visit local elementary schools to perform for them and teach them about opera. We got a wide range of reactions from the students, some classrooms would be filled with giggling students who had never heard singing like that before. It was very exciting to be able to expose these students to opera so they understand that it's still beautiful even though it sounds different. Other students had seen our visits a few times and looked forward to it. I was always astounded when we walked into a room of second graders who were genuinely excited to hear opera! When I was young, like many students, I was not exposed to opera and assumed it was something unpleasant. It was so wonderful to see students of such a young age embracing opera!

Music continues to help me grow as a person everyday. I love the way Dr. Boonshaft began the book with the story about his mentor who at the age of 81 had come to realize that he knows nothing. This resonated with me in particular because I believe that we must all be lifelong learners, and there are certainly days when I feel I know nothing at all about music or teaching. This past week I spent two days substitute teaching for the chorus teacher at the high school where I work. If there are two areas I could use a lot more practice in, its piano and sight reading. The teacher didn't know she would be absent so the very first time I was looking at this music was in front of 25 students who were already skeptical of me. It was incredibly stressful, but it was unbelievably enjoyable. I learned how to think on my toes and how to appear calm when I feel exactly the opposite inside. In this experience I also came to understand Dr. Boonshaft's chapter "Not again--Better." I would repeat phrases with the students several times, and sometimes it seemed like nothing would change. It is important to tell the ensemble how they can make the section better, instead of just telling them to do it again. When their teacher returned I was very proud of our hard work, and the perseverance I learned from those students.

In his chapter titled "Why do we teach?" Dr. Boonshaft stated that in educating one generation, we educate that generation to teach their children, and their children, etc. I hope to have this impact on my students. I know the tremendous benefits of music education, and educators like Dr. Boonshaft, my elementary school teacher, and all the other music educators I have been fortunate enough to know inspire me to be the finest music educator I can. I hope to one day teach my students the values and passion for music that my teachers taught me.