New Teacher Perfectly Tuned or Flat Note?

     As I stroll down the long crowded hallways towards room 6, I hear the perfectly tuned wind instruments and the ra ta tas of the drums. The harmonious music flies and swings about the band room. All the shiny brass instruments play in sync and glisen in the poorly lighted room. All the drummers  keep time and dut intensely. As I enter I see there's a new man behind this music genius. Mr. Golddeck who just started here a couple weeks ago. 

Mr. Golddeck hard at work

      While Mr. Golddeck is working hard to pull his new job and classroom together, he's trying his best to progress quickly with the band. There are many exciting new things in the up coming months of our school's musical life. For concert band students, the spring concert is approaching really fast. This year they well be performing a few songs such as Hands across the sea, Simple gifts, The light eternal, Wicked, and In this quiet place. As for music theory, a class Mr. Golddeck seems to enjoy, their working on key signatures and scales. He said that the class is getting ready for a big test on that section. Percussion ensemble, which just started this Friday, got their music for Fuguetta Rock. A piece that was written by Thomas L. Davis.

Mr Golddeck teaching

    But there's more to this story other then a new music teacher.

     There's a man, and his passion. As I was talking to him, I learned that this job is harder then you'd think and he's doing a great job handling it. He started his love for music very young, and stuck with it. And even though there are mixed and many mutual feelings and relationships between teacher and student, he has it tough. He told me that since he started in the middle of the year that he didn't get a week training like every other teacher. He's trying hard to keep up with all the silly little things he has to learn to do. Emails, and entering grades a new way.  As he said it "I had a one day change from Mr. Belskis to me to get ready, the consistency was hard and fast."

   He said this is his first teaching job, but he's really excited because he got the correct age group he likes to work with. Not really little kids. He says his relationships with his students in general is fairly well, but there are a few who are a little bumpy and haven't adjusted to him yet. He thinks the band is working slower then he'd hoped but he'll make do with what he has.  He said he does enjoy being able to teach what his heart desires though.
     Although to man of the students, the biggest controversy is the big change in teachers. As of now, even though it's mean to say, Mr. Golddeck is still lurking in Mr. Belskis' shadow. Everyone loved him, and are still flustered that he's gone. Many can't accept it yet. I decided to get to the bottom of this and asked around from previous students of Mr. Belskis, co-workers, and band students now-a-days.
   "Mr. Belskis was always great to me, but when he wanted mento work harder he'd get stern with me. But he was always great." said Tom Amadio, a former student.
         "Through my time working with the Sterling High School Marching Band, I got to know Mike Belskis and his staff reasonably well. From the very beginning, he made it clear that financially the music program was in a tougher situation than they had been in years past, but he also seemed to make it work. He was knowledgeable about how to run the music program and develop his students. It became apparent that he wanted to make them into more than just musicians. He cared about their character, behavior and their relationship with him. Overall Belskis was a fun and supportive co-worker who loved the program he built at Sterling High School and he showed that he was disappointed to leave it behind as he continued on in his career." spoke Sam Schneider, one of the helpers for marching band.
    But even though everyone liked Belskis, many students are still pleased.

Anthony Mirra warming up on set, Steve Lebano on bass

        "He's a great teacher, and I like the new guys" are some of the things being thrown around from one kid to another. After time Mr. Golddeck will fit into our difficult puzzle perfectly. But as of now may I just say he's doing a wonderful job. With expressing his love for music, teaching us, and helping young people love music just like him.