Musical Life History
From the start, I have been one to have an instrument in my hand. My grandfather, who was very musical, wished that his daughters would be involved in music so they could share an activity that they all loved. My mother had that same desire out of her daughters. After trying every other stringed instrument, I took my first cello lesson and loved it. I studied with the same teacher from fifth grade almost all the way through high school. He taught me the fundamentals of music and cello playing, along with other lessons that would carry me through life.
Going through the school music programs, I had many various musical opportunities. When school started in eighth grade, my teacher pulled me aside in strings class and asked me to take all of the new cellists and work on getting catching them up to the level of the other students in the class. This was my first experience teaching, and I loved it and by the time the end of my senior year of high school came, I had decided on attending college to study Music Education.
Through my experiences in college, I have had some wonderful experiences that have helped me gain more passion for music and education. The most important of these experiences starts with attending the New Harmony Music Festival. It was there that I started to learn and develop a passion for traditional and folk music. I learned that traditional music has a place alongside classical music and my experience sparked a new interest and opened many doors for me. I also took time over one winter break and taught music in Jamaica through the Jamaica Field Service Project where I learned about the traditional music of Jamaica, and taught basic music fundamentals to students in St. Elizabeth Parrish. This allowed me to grow through teaching and cultural immersion. I also was able to keep exploring musical traditions of other cultures as I started doing at the New Harmony Music Festival.
Other collegiate experiences that have helped shape me as a musician and a teacher have been through involvement with the American String Teachers Association, and through my student teaching experience where I gained experience in a large orchestra program of four ensembles in addition to two general music classes. As I continue studying music education, I will travel through the Indiana University Global Gateways for Teachers program, to teach at the Tain Royal Academy located north of Inverness, Scotland.
From my experiences, and the background provided by my family and music educators throughout my childhood, there is nothing I want to do more than to share my love of music. I want to teach kids to love music the way my teachers have taught me, and then more. Music isn’t just another subject in school for me; it is an experience, and an opportunity because music has never ceased to teach me something new, and will never stop.
Going through the school music programs, I had many various musical opportunities. When school started in eighth grade, my teacher pulled me aside in strings class and asked me to take all of the new cellists and work on getting catching them up to the level of the other students in the class. This was my first experience teaching, and I loved it and by the time the end of my senior year of high school came, I had decided on attending college to study Music Education.
Through my experiences in college, I have had some wonderful experiences that have helped me gain more passion for music and education. The most important of these experiences starts with attending the New Harmony Music Festival. It was there that I started to learn and develop a passion for traditional and folk music. I learned that traditional music has a place alongside classical music and my experience sparked a new interest and opened many doors for me. I also took time over one winter break and taught music in Jamaica through the Jamaica Field Service Project where I learned about the traditional music of Jamaica, and taught basic music fundamentals to students in St. Elizabeth Parrish. This allowed me to grow through teaching and cultural immersion. I also was able to keep exploring musical traditions of other cultures as I started doing at the New Harmony Music Festival.
Other collegiate experiences that have helped shape me as a musician and a teacher have been through involvement with the American String Teachers Association, and through my student teaching experience where I gained experience in a large orchestra program of four ensembles in addition to two general music classes. As I continue studying music education, I will travel through the Indiana University Global Gateways for Teachers program, to teach at the Tain Royal Academy located north of Inverness, Scotland.
From my experiences, and the background provided by my family and music educators throughout my childhood, there is nothing I want to do more than to share my love of music. I want to teach kids to love music the way my teachers have taught me, and then more. Music isn’t just another subject in school for me; it is an experience, and an opportunity because music has never ceased to teach me something new, and will never stop.
