I first met Michelle in 2006. We were in a cohort in Monticello with about 15 other teachers working towards receiving our master's degrees through St. Mary's University. Our cohort met one evening a week in addition to one Saturday a month, so we really got to know each other. It was a good experience, and I'm glad I got my master's degree that way. But, the best thing about getting my master's degree was the opportunity it provided to make a new friend = Michelle!
While in our cohort together, Michelle and I would occasionally walk down to her classroom (our cohort met at the Monticello Middle School) and play piano or violin duets together during a break. It was such fun! We even prepared some pieces to play for my church for special music. We did piano duets for prelude, a violin duet for offering, and we sang a duet for special music. That was a busy Sunday!
Michelle is a wonderful violinist AND a fiddler! She has won countless fiddle contests across the country. Lately she has been enjoying judging fiddle contests. She plays accordion too! Michelle and I both enjoy music by bluegrass musician Alison Krauss. Michelle has been on staff at the infamous International Music Camps. Music has always been a huge part of her life.
When I got married in May of 2008, Michelle was going to be the violinist for our wedding. We even had a fiddle part worked up for "God is Good All the Time." Unfortunately, Michelle's dear grandma died a few days before the wedding and the funeral was the same day. Even while grieving, Michelle called all her connections to find a replacement violinist. I'm still overwhelmed with gratitude when I think of this act of kindness she did for us.
Michelle and her friend Kara co-direct the Monticello Community Orchestra during the summer months. I have enjoyed being part of that orchestra. That experience gave me a glimpse into Michelle's world as a Middle School Orchestra Director. There were lots of middle school and high school kids in the Community Orchestra and Michelle was so good with them. She could be silly, but yet get her point across in a very effective way. I remember thinking she was just made to work with young musicians!
For this blog, I asked Michelle to answer a few questions about her career as a Middle School Orchestra Director. I'm going to let you enjoy the words directly from her.
Question #1: Why did you decide to be an orchestra director? "I have a passion for working with children and sharing my love of music with them. I love being able to take students that have never played an instrument before and teaching them how to make music and helping them grow into young musicians."
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| Monticello Middle School Orchestra |
Question #2: What do you like about working with middle schoolers? "Well, for one, they put up with my corny sense of humor! Seriously, though... They are at a beautifully awkward part of life - the transition from being a little kid to becoming a young adult. They need and want people to care about them and to support them during their journey as they figure out who they are. I get to work with students three years in a row and get to witness great growth in that time span."
Question #3: How is teaching music rewarding? "The smile on the face of a student when they have an 'ah - hah' moment is a beautiful sight. I teach beginning string students - students that have never held an instrument before. To be able to take them from that starting point and to show them how to make music is so rewarding. My hope is that I am able to share my love of music and give them the tools they need to be independent learners. I tell my students that my goal as a teacher is to teach them enough so they don't need me anymore. I know that most of my students will not go on to be professional musicians. Maybe they won't even continue to play their instrument, but they can take other skills learned in my class and use those in other aspects of their lives."
I'm so glad Michelle decided to teach music. I know she is impacting so many lives! I teach kids when they are seven and eight years old, but they stay in my heart as the years pass by. I think of them often and wonder how they are doing in middle school and high school. I'm glad there are teachers like Michelle who invest in kids just like my students. Michelle inspires her kids to be the best they can be and she inspires me too!
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| Michelle with her husband, Bob. |
http://journalingjennifer.blogspot.com/2014/12/intro-to-31-days-of-friends-and-family.html
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