ISM- INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS

Student Name:

Stephanie Nguyen

Printed Name of Person

Interviewed:
Role of Individual:

Period:

Ashley Guillot

Place of Business:

_X_Mentor ___ Other Professional #1

Clear Springs High School

Business Address:

501 Palomino Lane, League City, TX

Phone Number:

318-447-8342

Date of Interview:

04/08/2016

___Other Professional #2

*Documentation Required (Attach E-mail to Interview Verificati

Type of Interview: _X_ In Person ___ Telephone* ___Email* on Page)

1. For someone working in your field, please describe the fantasies versus realities of the job.
(fantasy vs. reality)

I am a private teacher, so all of my lessons are taught individually. The fantasy would be that all
of my students (4 different districts) could come to my house and take their lessons. However,
the job brings me to several schools. It requires a fair amount of travel and can lead to extremely
long days. Being able to practice more would be ideal, but the majority of my practice happens
during lessons and on the weekends. The long days and number of students also lead me to teach
on the weekends which does not allow a lot of free time.
2. What is your current educational level? What continuing education and training are required?
(educational level and requirements)

I have received my Masters Degree and at this point do not plan to continue on with higher
education. In my field, having a degree is desired but not necessarily required (based on
individual school/districts). The level of education, however, does affect my salary.
3. Please describe the typical day to day activities of someone working in your field.
(day-to-day activities)

I usually get up around 6 every morning. I get my things together, eat breakfast, and take care of
my dog. I then travel throughout the day up to 4 different schools. I try to schedule my lessons in
a way that do not require long periods of travel, but that is not always possible. I make it a point
to come back home at least once a day to check on my pet. I usually get home somewhere
between 7 and 8 p.m. At this point, I have to eat, clean, do paperwork, check e-mails, etc. The
days can be long but also very rewarding.
4. How secure are you in your current position? What do you think is the future of your field?
(job security)
Revised Fall 2013

This job can change at any point. Every day and week is different. Some weeks I cannot teach
due to testing or students do not attend their lessons. I have policies in place for absences but it
can be very unpredictable. Any type of job security is solely based on who takes lessons and
students can stop at any point in time.
5. What is a typical (average or lowest to highest) salary of someone working in your field?
(salary)

This is a difficult question to answer. My schedule can change by the day which means my
income is in constant fluctuation. The summer is also somewhat slow because fewer students
take lessons. What is typical for me may not be typical for someone else who private teaches.
6. What potential for growth is there in your field?
(growth potential)

There is always the potential to get a bigger studio, get a teaching degree (band director),
audition for symphony positions, and play chamber works. The difficulty lies in fitting
everything in your schedule!
7. What is your favorite part about music? (Playing it, writing it, teaching it, etc.)

I enjoy playing, especially when I can return to my home state to play in the symphony there. I
really enjoy playing small ensemble pieces and doing duets with my students when possible.
8. How difficult was it to major in music and how would you describe your college experience?

I enjoyed college so much! Majoring in music can be grueling. It involves long hours and some
classes that you must take receive 0 credits. However, you will make lifelong friends and get
great individualized attention from fantastic teachers. It was worth all the late nights, nerve
wracking performances, and intense study.
9. How does your teaching style change based on students (age, maturity, etc)?

I would say my teaching style is fairly constant across the board except for the speed that the
lessons move. With beginners, everything has to put in a detailed step-by-step format. As the
students progress, you can begin to talk about advanced concepts and the retention is quicker. I
expect my students to work hard, but I also like to have fun in my lessons. Otherwise, why
would you want to continue taking them? Some students respond differently to certain concepts.
I like to think I take the time to figure out how each student learns and make them feel as
comfortable as possible with their abilities and progression.
10. What part of your job do you find most enjoyable or interesting?

The best part of my job is my students. Everyone has their own unique personality and every day
can hold new surprises. Over the last 6 years, it has been my pleasure to work with so many
amazing students. I enjoy watching them finally understand a new concept and the smile they get
when their hard work pays off. It does not get much better than that.

Interview Summary
This interview was useful because I was able to see how fun and beneficial
teaching music can be and learning it.
ISM- INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
Revised Fall 2013

Student Name:

Stephanie Nguyen

Printed Name of Person

Interviewed:
Role of Individual:

Period:

Maria Ebert

Place of Business:

___Mentor ___ Other Professional #1

Clear Springs High School

Business Address:

501 Palomino Lane, League City, TX

Phone Number:

832-955-7346

Date of Interview:

04/08/2016

_X_Other Professional #2

*Documentation Required (Attach E-mail to Interview Verificati

Type of Interview: _X_ In Person ___ Telephone* ___Email* on Page)

1. For someone working in your field, please describe the fantasies versus realities of the job.
(fantasy vs. reality)

A fantasy I had about this job was that the kids would a lot harder to control than they actually
are. Being a high school teacher seemed like a tough job because I knew how rebellious I was as
a teenager. In actuality most kids in band are very well behaved and disciplined. I enjoy my time
teaching and helping them way more than I ever expected to. I now love being around children
and helping them because I have developed a personal relationship with all of my students.
2. What is your current educational level? What continuing education and training are required?
(educational level and requirements)

Right now I have a Bachelors degree because there are no further requirements to be a teacher.
If you get a master or PHD the salary goes up because you can then advance to become an AP or
principal.
3. Please describe the typical day to day activities of someone working in your field.
(day-to-day activities)

I come into my room in the morning and get everything ready. I make sure I have my plans ready
to teach students and prepare myself for the day. I try to teach my students to the best of my
ability and keep them excited to learn. I always want my students to be interested and motivated
to do better.
4. How secure are you in your current position? What do you think is the future of your field?
(job security)

I feel very secure with what I do. I think music educators will always be needed because fine arts
are so important to helping kids grow throughout high school.
5. What is a typical (average or lowest to highest) salary of someone working in your field?
Revised Fall 2013

(salary)

Texas has different salaries depending on what you teach and how long you have been teaching.
Teacher salaries are all public information, but teachers usually make around $40,000 a year
starting off. It increases based on years of experience and what you do or what you know how to
do.
6. What potential for growth is there in your field?
(growth potential)

Theres no room to grow in my field unless I get masters or PHD to become a principal or AP.
As a teacher I dont really have room to move anywhere.
7. What is your favorite part about music? (Playing it, writing it, teaching it, etc.)

I initially got into this field because I love playing music. I would always be excited to go to
band class and practice my instrument, and it ended up being my favorite class. Now that I have
become a teacher I enjoy seeing all the different ways students perceive music because everyone
interprets it differently.
8. How difficult was it to major in music and how would you describe your college experience?

It was a lot harder than I expected it to be. I had to go through a lot of hours for school and
practice because I was in the college band. Because college was so stressful I had imagined my
job to be as difficult but in actuality its not as bad as I had originally thought.
9. How does your teaching style change based on students (age, maturity, etc)?

Well with older students I tend to be more relaxed and normal because theyre more mature. I
can trust them and give them more responsibility, such as being able to give them free time to
practice. With younger students I have to be a little more strict because they cant handle as
much responsibility.
10. What part of your job do you find most enjoyable or interesting?

I love developing personal bonds with all my students. Seeing every student for all four years
allows me to become close with all of my students and know their tendencies which makes it
easier for me to teach each individual suited to their personality.

Interview Summary
This interview was useful because I was able to see how different it can be
between playing music and teaching music.
ISM- INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
Revised Fall 2013

Student Name:

Stephanie Nguyen

Printed Name of Person

Interviewed:
Role of Individual:

Period:

Jonathan Witmer

Place of Business:

___Mentor _X_ Other Professional #1

Clear Springs High School

Business Address:

501 Palomino Lane, League City, TX

Phone Number:

832-273-9375

Date of Interview:

04/07/2016

___Other Professional #2

*Documentation Required (Attach E-mail to Interview Verificati

Type of Interview: _X_ In Person ___ Telephone* ___Email* on Page)

1. For someone working in your field, please describe the fantasies versus realities of the job.
(fantasy vs. reality)

Well one fantasy I had was that I thought this job would be really stressful. I thought I would
always be on my feet and I wouldnt have time to relax anymore because college was pretty
stressful. When I got to my job, it was a lot less stressful than I had originally expected. A large
part of that is because of the other band directors. All 3 of us help each other which helps lower
the workload overall. The reality of having this job is that you spend most of your time planning
lessons and doing paperwork rather than teaching. Only a small portion of your time is dedicated
to actually teaching.
2. What is your current educational level? What continuing education and training are required?
(educational level and requirements)

Right now I have a 4 year college degree. Eventually I might go off to get my masters but I dont
know how far I want to go yet. No continuing education and training is required but I might go
back to go father just because I want to.
3. Please describe the typical day to day activities of someone working in your field.
(day-to-day activities)

I usually check my email, finish my paperwork, plan lessons, go to meetings, teach students, and
research more about better ways to teach. I also have to research instruments because we always
need to have the newest and most updated mallets and drum sets. I also look at which ones work
the best for the best price. Research also includes music itself, like what the best type of music to
play is and what sounds good/what many other bands are playing. I also look up new ways to
teach in order to inspire me and give me ideas on how to educate my students.
4. How secure are you in your current position? What do you think is the future of your field?
(job security)
Revised Fall 2013

I feel very secure with my position. I think the future of the field in music education is needed
and growing, although the public doesnt necessarily see it. Music plays a large role in helping
students develop and grow and I believe that music education will always stay important. In the
future I hope it will expand and grow to become even more important.
5. What is a typical (average or lowest to highest) salary of someone working in your field?
(salary)

Texas has different salaries depending on what you do and where you work. The average salary
is $40,000-70000, depending on where you work. Band directors get paid by how much you do
and what you do rather than by an hour. Some people get paid differently than others.
6. What potential for growth is there in your field?
(growth potential)

Theres no room to actually advance much in position, but I like to think about the growth music
can help with a childs life. I believe the music field will continue to grow and we will break
through new barriers of what music is composed of. This field will eventually raise kids that do
better and help their education because the arts are essential to a childs development.
7. What is your favorite part about music? (Playing it, writing it, teaching it, etc.)

I like it all, I chose to pursue the teaching part of it as a career because it is a more stable
profession and because I love giving students the same or better opportunities that I had as a
student.
8. How difficult was it to major in music and how would you describe your college experience?

It was incredibly challenging. The difficulty level was not even comparable to what I
experienced in High school and they dont give you time to adjust. You either survive and adjust
or you fail out. It is also one of the most demanding majors at my school, it had the most
required credits to graduate and the biggest time commitment due to rehearsals. I didnt have
nearly as much free time but looking back at it, I got way more out of college than most people
because of it.
9. How does your teaching style change based on students (age, maturity, etc)?

It doesnt. I am myself the whole time. My patience increases with younger students.
10. What part of your job do you find most enjoyable or interesting?

Seeing students grow and develop because of my teaching. I love having students for all four
years because I get to be with them through their journey of growth in high school.

Interview Summary
This interview was useful because I was able to see how teaching music can
be fun and useful because its beneficial to students.
Stephanie Nguyen
Click 6th Period
4/22/16
Revised Fall 2013

Mentor Interview Summary

This job requires a lot of traveling. Because every student is different, being a private lesson
teacher requires traveling to many different schools and going to the students because not every
child can come to her house.
Days become longer because of all the travel from school to school. Its hard to plan out a
schedule because every student is different.
Private lessons also occur on the weekends, which takes away a lot of free time.
On weekends she can teach at her house because theres no school, so theres less travel which
makes it easier.
A degree isnt necessary to be a teacher, but it increases the salary.
Its also better to have a masters degree because it helps increase the level of education you have
obtained. It also helps you better educate students and become more knowledgeable.
Teaching causes long days because of the many students and travel periods from school to
school.
She travels to about four schools in one day, which causes my mentor to have 14 hour long days
without being at home.
She is able to check in at home once a day to eat and check on her dog, which is hard to schedule
every day because all students have such conflicting schedules.
The job stability is shaky because it is all based on the student, their schedule, and their desire to
take lessons.
Students can cancel at any time or stop lessons or quit band, which makes it a hard job to keep
stable.
The salary fluctuates because students can cancel their weekly lesson at any time, and less
students take lessons in the summer.
Theres always potential to grow in this field by getting a teaching degree or getting a bigger
studio, but it also depends on the schedule and conflicts.
The favorite part about being a teacher is being able to play. Small duets and ensembles with
students are also enjoyable.
College was intense and required long hours, but in the end it was worth it.
Teaching stays the same for most students, but the pace and familiarity changes as the teacher
and student becomes closer and more comfortable.
Its rewarding to see all the different students have their hard work pay off.

Stephanie Nguyen
Click 6th Period
Revised Fall 2013

4/22/16
Combined Interview Summaries

Being a band director isnt as stressful as its expected to be. Because college was so hard and
time consuming, the job turned out to be easier than it was made out to be.
Because there are three band directors, its easy because they all help each other and split up the
paperwork/work load.
Only a small part of your time is spent teaching because most of it is used planning lessons and
setting up for the day.
To be a band director the only requirement is a four year college degree. Getting a masters can
raise the salary but it doesnt make that much of a difference.
The daily routines of a band director are checking emails, planning lessons, organizing
instruments, looking at more things to order, and keeping the band hall organized.
Its easy to feel secure in your position being a band director, because music will always be
needed. Its also hard to fire a teacher after the first initial year of teaching.
Teachers all get about the same salary depending on the school and experience. It ranges between
$40,000 and $70,000 a year.
Theres no room to advance in this position as a teacher.
Most people become a teacher because they love teaching students and playing music.
College was incredibly challenging for music majors because it took so much time and
dedication. It took a lot of adjustment to survive.
Its nice getting to know all of your students because you are able to have a personal relationship
with all of them as time goes by.
The best part of being a music teacher is being able to play music and continue doing what you
love for the remainder of your life.
Teaching students and building bonds over four years of high school is also very rewarding
because teachers are able to see their students grow and develop.
College is way more stressful than the actual job is because of all the time and work it takes.
Its easier to teach older students because they learn faster and the quicker pace also makes it
more fun to teach them.
Its always important to make students feel comfortable and have fun because thats the point of
staying in band.
Teaching can be tedious and stressful but it can also be very rewarding.

Revised Fall 2013