The Best of the Rest

Mrs. Wilkinson-Nelson was my middle school orchestra teacher. Orchestra was always a fun time because I was always ahead of the class from taking private lessons. My favorite memory of this class is the annual Fiddle Fest. It is our final concert of the year and we always have a t-shirt contest to wear on that night. Mrs. Wilkinson-Nelson is one of those people who loves her job and wants every student to be successful. 

Mr. Westgaard was my junior high and high school orchestra teacher. In the University Place School District, he is one of the most respected teachers. He is arguably the best conductor on the planet and puts so much time and energy into his job. I swear the man never gets any sleep! He dreams and breathes music. He is there for his students all the time and all his efforts really pay off. We never go to a competition without receive some kind of trophy, usually first place! We love to play for him and we probably take for granted what a great program we were in. Orchestra allowed me to have some of the best experiences throughout high school and I enjoyed every minute of it! 

My senior year of high school was filled with music! In addition to orchestra, I also decided to be in choir. Mr. D is a fabulous teacher as well and along with Mr. Westgaard had to control a class of over 60 students! Many of which don't have a lot of music experience. By the end of the year we accomplished great things and really came together. He took our learning seriously and was always teaching us about music and even took us on a retreat where we learned more and had the chance to work on our skills. He is interested in history and always found a way to connect our songs to something he found important. It was a great experience to be in an a'cappella choir and to learn singing parts instead of just the melody.

There are many other teachers who have had an impact on my life. 

Mrs. Flynn gave me the opportunity to accompany the middle school choir which was so much fun and was the start of my accompanying career!
Patrick and Jolee Watson put 110% into their productions and spent a lot of time supporting me and helping me improve my theater skills. They introduced me to projecting and choreography and all the ins and outs of the stage.
Mr. Bradley and Mr. Rine were always complimenting me on my talents and encouraging me to be involved in everything I could to live a music-filled life.
Mrs. Schroeder casted me in the school musical, Cinderella. This was my first school production and I loved every minute of it. I learned even more about the theater and about really putting yourself in your character's shoes and leaving yourself behind.
Mr. Rose asked me to play the piano for the band when we traveled to Orlando. I was so excited about this because I was able to participate in band, orchestra, and choir on this trip! It made me very busy but I felt like I was using my talents to the fullest and also had a ton of fun!

Throughout the years, I truly have been blessed with all the amazing people who have taught me and helped me be successful. They provided me with amazing opportunities and shaped who I am. I'm so grateful for teachers and the role they play in the lives of those they teach.