Tiffany James

Intro to Music Education

Becoming a music educator is an idea that I have been thinking about for a few years now. When I first decided this, there was no question as to who had influenced me.

He is a person that always did everything he could for his students. It was obvious that he really cared about all of them and wanted them to succeed. I really care about him and appreciate everything that he has done for me, as a musician and a person. For these reasons I have made it one of my goals to be the incredible teacher that he was for me.

When I first met Mr. Tropman, my junior high band director, there seemed to be a connection right away. I was a very shy person coming into junior high, and I didn’t have too much confidence in my playing. Mr. Tropman changed all of that. After a few weeks went by he held me after class one day to compliment me on my playing. He said that he was amazed at how much emotion I expressed in my playing for being so young and inexperienced. He made me feel special and important by telling me this, and it really helped to boost my confidence level.

Over the next three years he helped me with many aspects of playing, and we were starting to form a very strong bond. I took everything he said very seriously, and did what I could as a musician to please him. He was my motivation to work hard and become a better player. I also saw the relationships that he was forming with the rest of his students. Everyone liked him and he really didn’t have any enemies. The atmosphere during band rehearsals was amazing. Everyone was happy and enjoying themselves, yet working hard and getting a lot accomplished at the same time. For most people, coming to band rehearsals was a way of getting away from their problems. If I was having a rough day, going to band would change everything, because it helped me to forget about the problems I was having.

By my ninth grade year music had become one of my main priorities, and I knew that I would stick with it for the rest of my life. I would try to imagine myself after college, just to figure out what kind of work I would be doing. When I tried to imagine myself doing something other than music it seemed unreal. There was no way that I could live my life without incorporating music into it somehow. Finally, the last day of school had come, and it was the last day I would have Mr. Tropman as my band director.

The atmosphere during band that day was not the same, and it was obvious that many of the freshmen were upset about leaving. We spent the class time talking and telling jokes like we had done many times before, and Mr. Tropman told us what a special group of people we were. Towards the end of class, a couple of my friends decided to do something special for him, so they played him a song. As my friend was singing, it was obvious that she was having a hard time holding back her emotions, and the girl playing the piano was trembling. I could tell how touched Mr. Tropman was just by looking at his eyes, and I started to cry as I watched him. Before I left that day I went to him, and in the midst of all my crying, told him that I wanted to be a music teacher. A huge smile appeared on his face, and he told me that I would be an amazing teacher. I will never forget this moment, and I will think of it every time I am having doubts about being a teacher. When I think back to the time I spent with Mr. Tropman, I often wonder what would have happened had I not had him as a teacher. He showed me so many important things about music, and how much there is to appreciate. I will always remember the impact he had on me, and try my hardest to be that kind of role model for my students someday.