Musical Life History
Dr. Mark Mordue, associate professor of Tuba, and I in
the Spring of 2011
ABOUT MYSELF
I was raised in a small town called Parker City by my parents. We were a middle class family and were respected throughout the community. My school was comprised of four different schools that they combined in 1964. There were about 400 students at my school and a band program that was barely hanging on. I had three band directors in my high school career which is a major part of why I wanted to make music a part of my life for hopefully a long time. It is a misfortune to see a program deteriorate over years because of the lack of interest at the school. For a band program to stay intact you need elements like structure and commitment. I hope to bring these items along with several others to a band program in the future.
SIGNIFICANT MUSICAL EVENTS IN MY LIFE
In my second year of band we made our first appearance at the state marching band festival or “Band Day.” We were up against almost 40 bands, half that were bigger than us. We came out of that contest 12th. Now the placing is not what mattered, it was how my director reacted to it. I’d never seen a smile any bigger than his on that day. He knew that he had taken us somewhere that we normally would have ignored. Because of that day, I want to show students that they are capable of doing and activity that can stimulate different aspects of life.
REASONS FOR WANTING TO BE A TEACHER
I’ve always enjoyed learning more and more about a certain subject. Each one of my directors fed me more information, and the more I learned the more it influenced me to go to the school of music and pursue my dream. All three of my directors showed me a whole new world that I was blind. I want to do the same for my students. Music education is not like science or math. The students don’t see you as a teacher but more as an adult that they can see eye to eye with. You are given the opportunity to see the sides of students most educators will never see. I feel teachers are overlooked most of the time. They are the hero’s behind the curtain. That’s what I want to be. A hero who goes unnoticed. My teacher’s changed my life throughout my four years of high school and I just want to help students realize their potential in music or possibly in something else that interests them. I feel though that elementary and secondary education has been overlooked in the past couple of decades and I want to help possibly change that for the better.
PREPARING TO TEACH
Of the experiences I have gone through most band students are stubborn to change. They like consistency within the program and to them you are a variable that does not needed to be added . You have to connect on a level with them that will make them comfortable to learn and enjoy the school life. I’m confident that students will be willing to learn as well as having fun in the classroom. You have to be strict but flexible when teaching so that the students feel comfortable in the classroom and are not miserable. Now I believe students have several different emotions going through their mind; nervous, excited, enthusiastic, and through my music education classes I believe that I will gain the skills needed to teach a class.
I was raised in a small town called Parker City by my parents. We were a middle class family and were respected throughout the community. My school was comprised of four different schools that they combined in 1964. There were about 400 students at my school and a band program that was barely hanging on. I had three band directors in my high school career which is a major part of why I wanted to make music a part of my life for hopefully a long time. It is a misfortune to see a program deteriorate over years because of the lack of interest at the school. For a band program to stay intact you need elements like structure and commitment. I hope to bring these items along with several others to a band program in the future.
SIGNIFICANT MUSICAL EVENTS IN MY LIFE
In my second year of band we made our first appearance at the state marching band festival or “Band Day.” We were up against almost 40 bands, half that were bigger than us. We came out of that contest 12th. Now the placing is not what mattered, it was how my director reacted to it. I’d never seen a smile any bigger than his on that day. He knew that he had taken us somewhere that we normally would have ignored. Because of that day, I want to show students that they are capable of doing and activity that can stimulate different aspects of life.
REASONS FOR WANTING TO BE A TEACHER
I’ve always enjoyed learning more and more about a certain subject. Each one of my directors fed me more information, and the more I learned the more it influenced me to go to the school of music and pursue my dream. All three of my directors showed me a whole new world that I was blind. I want to do the same for my students. Music education is not like science or math. The students don’t see you as a teacher but more as an adult that they can see eye to eye with. You are given the opportunity to see the sides of students most educators will never see. I feel teachers are overlooked most of the time. They are the hero’s behind the curtain. That’s what I want to be. A hero who goes unnoticed. My teacher’s changed my life throughout my four years of high school and I just want to help students realize their potential in music or possibly in something else that interests them. I feel though that elementary and secondary education has been overlooked in the past couple of decades and I want to help possibly change that for the better.
PREPARING TO TEACH
Of the experiences I have gone through most band students are stubborn to change. They like consistency within the program and to them you are a variable that does not needed to be added . You have to connect on a level with them that will make them comfortable to learn and enjoy the school life. I’m confident that students will be willing to learn as well as having fun in the classroom. You have to be strict but flexible when teaching so that the students feel comfortable in the classroom and are not miserable. Now I believe students have several different emotions going through their mind; nervous, excited, enthusiastic, and through my music education classes I believe that I will gain the skills needed to teach a class.