Interview with Mary Land, September 2013

Partial Transcript: First of all I’d like to start off by asking you: when and why did you become a music teacher?

Segment Synopsis: Dr. Land talks about her early fascination with music that guided her to becoming a music teacher. She describes the exciting, yet overwhelming experience of her first day on the job. She talks about the difficulty of teaching students with differing levels of interest and performance ability. She talks about how she could have benefitted in her first year from loosening up and enjoying the experience more.

Keywords: B.S.; Bachelor of Music Education; Chicago, Illinois; Doctor of Education; Ed.D.; GMEA; Georgia Music Educators Association; Jasper, Georgia; M.M.; Master of Music Education; Pickens County Middle School; Professor of Music; UGA; University of Georgia; VanderCook College of Music; Young Harris College; Young Harris, Georgia; clarinets; immediate past presidents; pianos; trumpet studios

Partial Transcript: What can you say regarding the quality of your teacher training?

Segment Synopsis: Dr. Land talks about the areas of her teacher training that would have helped her the most early in her career had she studied them more closely. She talks about the circumstances that caused her to move from teaching middle school to teaching music education in college. She describes the variety of reasons that cause others to leave the profession.

Keywords: B.S.; Bachelor of Music Education; Chicago, Illinois; Doctor of Education; Ed.D.; Jasper, Georgia; M.M.; Master of Music Education; Pickens County Middle School; TRSGA; Teachers Retirement System of Georgia; UGA; University of Georgia; VanderCook College of Music; alternate fingerings; mentorship; middle school band; student teaching; substitute teachers; teacher preparation programs; woodwind methods

Partial Transcript: Tell me about a time when you felt proud to be a music teacher.

Segment Synopsis: Dr. Land tells a story about a student who, despite not having a natural talent for music, expressed appreciation for her teaching. She tells a story about a group of students who gave a great performance after being in an accident on the road. She talks about the challenges of having to focus on test scores and the reduction of class time for music. She talks about the joy she feels in seeing students’ personalities come out during Halloween and fundraising events.

Keywords: Jasper, Georgia; Pickens County Middle School; University of Southern Mississippi; administration; conductors’ conferences; fundraisers; remedial math; remedial reading; test scores; trombones

Partial Transcript: Have you ever thought about changing your career?

Segment Synopsis: Dr. Land describes what she’s learned about her class and teaching style by surveying her students for their opinions. She talks about the valuable lessons she learned from her favorite teacher, including the need to avoid isolating oneself in the music classroom.

Keywords: middle school; music education; student teaching; supervising teachers

Partial Transcript: How do you motivate your students?

Segment Synopsis: Dr. Land talks about motivating her college students by taking time between good performances to have them reflect on the sense of accomplishment. She talks about encouraging them to read books about music and to consider their competition and allies in the world. She talks about a student who inspired her through his resilience and passion as he finally achieved a top program spot after many failed auditions.

Keywords: auditions; college students; music education; performing ensemble