BMME
Share with us a little bit about what you do as a music teacher.
I am currently the Band Director at Wildwood Middle School in Jefferson County. I teach band, jazz band, marching band, general music, and show choir band. Everyday, my students inspire me. My students give me new ideas and teach me something new each and every day. I teach because I want to be a postive figure in my students' lives. When teaching a class, you never know what each student's time outside of school has looked like. I think it is especially important to embrace each student personally and kindly. At the end of the day, each student is human and has their own feelings and emotions. My role as a music teacher is to try and make music a postive part of their life. In my band classes, we create a community that supports one another. We perform in our school and community, and have fun while doing so! In my general music classes, we learn about different cultures that we most likely would not know about outside of school. We also relate music we listen to to other styles of music. We often find, as I say in my classes, "good music is good music!"
Share with us any highlights in your career you believe are important.
So far in my career, I have presented at the WVMEA Conference. I have also doubled
the size of our jazz program, which recently received a superior rating at this
year's jazz festival. Additionally, one of the best surprises of my career has
been becoming heavily involved in the show choir world. Last year, I was the
band director for the Martinsburg High School "Good Times" Show Choir, then under
the direction of Katie Schramm. While working with this ensemble, we received
the "Best Band" Award at the South Harrison Showcase, and were Grand Champions
three times last season.
Share with us any advice or share with us the role WVU played in your career.
My time at WVU was crucial to my develop as a music educator. I am a proud "born and raised" West Virginian, and my time at WVU allowed me to grow as musician and network within the state. I learned more than I could have ever imagined as a student, but the people I met along the way are irreplaceable. While at WVU, I became friends with many people that I now call my colleagues. My best advice to anyone looking to be a music major is to not be afraid to reach out and talk to your professors. They are there to help you and they want to see you succeed. Spending more time on a secondary instrument doesn't hurt either!