Sydney Zumbahlen

Narrative Reflection 2

Looking back at myself as a first-year college student, I can see immense growth. I used

to be terrified of speaking in front of people and did not have confidence in my abilities to lead a

group. Through classes like lab band and conducting, I was given the chance to improve at

public speaking skills, conducting, rehearsal techniques, and diagnosing problems in the

ensemble. In conducting specifically, I learned how to differentiate my movements to make it

clear what I wanted the ensemble to play and to be confident in my place as the teacher at the

front of the room. Rehearsing the Wind Symphony was an exciting and challenging opportunity

for me to put all of my knowledge and skills into practice. The students in the ensemble had

never seen me teach before and didn’t know what to expect, so it was truly a test to see if I could

effectively rehearse a group. If I had been told I would be doing that as a junior in college back

when I was a freshman, I may not have believed it because I lacked the knowledge and

confidence to do so at the time.

I have grown as a musician throughout my time preparing to become a music teacher

through my theory and music history classes, as well as my weekly, private lessons with Dr.

Johnson. I know much more about the composition of pieces and how they fit into the timeline of

music history. This allows me to make informed decisions about how to play the pieces. Dr.

Johnson has pushed me to learn new types of pieces that are out of my familiarity and comfort

zones. My junior recital occurred the first semester performances were allowed again during the

pandemic, and it was my first time playing with a pianist and on a large stage. That opportunity

allowed me to work on my performance skills and attempt to conquer my fears of playing in

front of people. I am much more confident and comfortable performing than I was as a freshman.
I will know how to speak to my students to ease their minds about performing now that I’ve done

it a few times. I have also improved in my ability to read complex rhythms and practice

effectively due to the weekly assignments I am given for my lessons. I am better able to react in

ensemble situations as well because I’ve participated in Concert band, Wind Symphony, and the

Eastern Symphony Orchestra. Overall, I’ve improved in skill level as a musician in the three

years I have been here in a substantial way.

Observing other schools and teachers during my time in college has been a great way to

gain insight about different ways to teach concepts. Throughout the pandemic, we were unable to

observe teachers in person, so I was able to observe many schools in different states over Zoom,

that I would never have been able to do otherwise. These experiences gave me ideas about how

to teach sectionals, small group ensembles, and teaching remotely. I was able to ask teachers

questions about their programs and take notes about things I want to do in the future when I have

my own classroom. These observations also helped to solidify that I really do want to be a

teacher. They helped me to connect the concepts I’d learned in my classes to real-world

situations in real band classrooms. These observations and material learned in other music

classes helped me to understand different pedagogical approaches and will help me to figure out

how I will best teach my students.

The three years I spent at Eastern Illinois University were invaluable and have prepared

me to be the best possible music teacher I can be. I am one semester away from student teaching

and I cannot wait to be able to impact students’ lives very soon. I have learned that it takes a lot

of work to be a good teacher and that if I really want to be there for my students, I must take

every opportunity to better myself and to always continue learning about music and education

throughout my entire career.