I had a concert last night for my
biggest school. The kids there all started on their instruments in
late October so they are all beginners. They are all little sponges
for everything music. They take everything that I teach them and
they run with it. They are proud to be part of the band. They think
it's the coolest thing ever. Lots of parents came up to me after the
concert and told me how they always hear about how cool I am and how
cool band is. One parent told me "My daughter thinks you walk
on water. She loves you so much." That in and of itself is so
humbling, and it makes me so proud to be part of their lives.
I remember my very first year in band.
I was good at it and I absolutely loved my band director. To this
day I remember my lessons with Mr. Jenni. He has taught beginning
band in the district I grew up in for 40+ years. When I was in high
school I wondered why he loved it so much because in beginning band
you master Hot Cross Buns and Jingle Bells and the music is not very
complex. But now that I'm teaching, I realize why he loves it so
much. Beginning band kids are so fun to teach. They have energy and
excitement and motivation. Not to mention seeing them go from their
very first notes to performing a full concert is pretty incredible.
There were many great moments at the
concert last night, I think I will always remember how it felt when
the principal publicly thanked me for all my hard work and my band
started hollering and cheering loudly for me. When I decided to go
to college to become a band director, it was because of the sense of
community I felt in my bands in school. I loved the fact that I had
made so many great friends in band and that it gave me a sense of
belonging. It was really cool being part of something so much bigger
than myself. I was REALLY proud to be a part of band. And now, I'm
able to create for these kids that same feeling and that exact same
environment. That in and of itself is powerful.
In February, a woman who was my church
music director in elementary school passed away at age 52. Donna Mae
was a huge inspiration to me and she was a big reason for why I fell
in love with music in the first place. She was inspirational in many
ways and I always looked up to her. She was kind, compassionate,
joyful, and she absolutely loved everyone. I've never met a kinder
woman. I think about her on occasion when I'm teaching because I
find myself doing things that she used to do. In this particular
school, I feel like I am the "Donna Mae" that these kids
needed in their lives.
I have 100% retention in this
particular band for next year. Every single student has already
signed up for band next year. I was amazed at how many parents told
me that their kids love having me as their teacher. When I told the
kids that I was going to be back next year they started cheering. I
love that band is the cool thing to do in that school and we're going
to go on to even bigger and better things in years to come.
It's a powerful thing to be someone's
very first band director. They will always remember their first year
in band. I hope that they will look back on it and have fond
memories of it. After all, these kids are the reason why I do what I
do.
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