8. The Life of a First Year Band Director (w/Brenna Sherman & Noah Grothe)

Life’s first experiences are always full of possibility. In this episode we hear from two first year Minnesota band directors, their joys and challenges as they begin their careers.
Brenna Sherman is a first year band director at Princeton Middle School in Princeton Minnesota. She graduated from Luther College in Decorah IA. While at Luther College she participated in the Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Concert Band, Collegiate Chorale, Competitive Ballroom and Swing team, and the Future Music Educators Association. In her final year she was fortunate to complete her student teaching at the Seoul Foreign School in Seoul, South Korea. She has received the Earl C. Benson Concerto Competition Scholarship, Minnesota All-State Music Scholarship, “Become” Award, Weston Noble Instrumental Music Excellence Scholarship, Forde-Preus Music Scholarship, John H. Monson International Education Scholarship, and the Presser Foundation Scholarship. She has enjoyed her first year of teaching immensely and cannot wait to see what wonderful moments of teaching are in store.
Noah Grothe is a first year instrumental music educator at Levi P. Dodge Middle School in Farmington, MN. He graduated with a degree in Music Education from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, and taught both band and math as a long-term substitute before accepting his current position in Farmington. Noah has performed on the bass trombone with multiple ensembles in the Northfield area, and is otherwise musically active in his local church setting. Noah currently resides in Northfield, MN with his wife Morgan and 10 month old daughter Atarah.
Show Timings
(00:00)  Introduction, shout outs and call for feedback
(05:10)  Introduce guests, Noah Grothe and Brenna Sherman
(07:15)  What do you love most about teaching and when did you decide to teach?
(10:32)  The biggest challenge in the first year
(18:10)  Joy of teaching
(23:48)  Other resources that help you get through the first year: people, books, etc.
(29:22)  Closing thoughts
And that wraps up this episode.
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Other Resources
Show Hosts
Jerry Luckhardt   https://cla.umn.edu/about/directory/profile/luckh001
Bradley Mariska  https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-mariska-63ba2855
FB Website (Band in Minnesota)
https://www.facebook.com/Band-in-Minnesota