When I was in high school I was in a jazz combo with a small group of friends. My band teacher took us out to Pense to introduce the program to the students there. They didn't currently have a band program and neither did Milestone and a few other small towns in the area. We were going to do a recruiting session. We packed up the vehicles with one of each of the main instruments in a concert band and all the equipment needed for a jazz band. We arrived and set up in the library, which was a decent size. Soon the room was full. Kids were squeezing past each other to find a chair.
When the teachers were explaining what was going to happen, the kids didn't really seem to be paying attention. Their eyes were on the table ladened with shinny instruments. I picked up my flute and the room went silent. I played the theme from Pirates of The Caribbean and when I was done the room erupted with excitement. This continued as we played through the band instruments and escalated when we started to play jazz music. When we played rock music with the drums and guitars some of the kids jumped out of their seats with excitement. They were hooked.
After this it was their turn to play the instruments so they could get an idea of what instrument they would choose to play in the fall. The kids were supposed to line up at the instruments they wanted to try first. With all the excitement they didn't form neat lines. Instead they were pushing and shoving to get to the front of the line, and then to get a good view of the lucky kid who managed to get in line first. It was what happened next that made me realize I wanted to be a teacher.
I explained the basics behind the embouchure (formation of the mouth muscles) needed to play the flute and I handed the head joint to the first student. Unfortunately for her, and the next four students, barely a sound came out. The flute is a very difficult instrument to learn to play. Very seldom do students get a sound on the first try, and I explained this to the students. Several of them lost interest in the flute and wandered away to try the trumpet. But when the fifth student brought the head joint to her mouth and blew, the tinniest of sounds was produced. The student's eyes shot open and she instantly stopped to cry out in excitement. Suddenly attention was brought back on the flute and on this little girl. The look on her face, and the faces of the other students who were able to make a sound was what made me realize I wanted to be a teacher. The look that this tiny, seemingly insignificant sound was the only important thing at that moment, that look was what made me want to teach. The sense of pride could be seen in the students eyes, and just behind it, that feeling of gratitude.
By the time I had graduated I had been a member of no less than 20 concert bands, jazz bands, combos, and choirs. It is because of this and the above story that I chose to become a teacher. I love music and being a part of an ensemble. The experiences I had as a student in the band program can be rivaled by nothing else in my high school career. After I felt the joy of teaching those students I knew I wanted to be a teacher, to be able to spread that joy and give students the same experiences that I had.
No comments:
Post a Comment