What Led Me to want to Teach Music? By Gordon Truong

5 th Grade Band 1.When I was a fifth grader, I didn’t know what band was all about. I had always thought that band was just for the nerds. However, I thought that it would still be fun and could possibly help me gain a new skill. 2.If I could recall, midway though my fifth grade year in elementary, I was given the opportunity to try out a band instrument. The instrument of my choice was clarinet because I have always wanted to play an instrument that was more complicated than a recorder, but still looked similar. 2005

6 th Grade Band 1.In sixth grade, I had to repeat beginning band again due to consistent tardiness in my fifth grade year. However, I had some edge over the other students who were beginning to learn their band instrument for the first time. 2.What was different was that the pacing was faster because I was learning at the middle school level. More music was learned and material was covered much quicker. 2006

7 th Grade Band 1.During the first semester of my seventh grade career, I continued on clarinet, albeit on one of the lower chairs. I had advanced from beginning band to a sub- intermediate level ensemble called the Cadet Band. 2.During my seventh grade year, my middle school band director introduced the clarinet section a new type of clarinet that one would soon be playing in the future. That clarinet was the Bass Clarinet and I had the opportunity to tryout on it a week before winter break. 3.After second semester had begun, the bass clarinet was assigned to me as my permanent instrument. At times, I had felt like I wanted to switch back to clarinet, but my band director had told me that I was not allowed to switch back. Luckily, the bass clarinet parts were easier than clarinet parts. 2007

8 th Grade Band 1.During my eighth grade year, I continued through playing bass clarinet. Music reading was difficult and I would often times play by rote while having the sheet music be there as a way to assist me. 2.Generally, my musical skills continued to improve, although at a slow pace. 2008

High School: Concert Band (Freshman) 1.During my first year in high school, I continued to pick up new musical skills. My sight reading skills only had benefitted from marginal improvements. 2.The band director at my high school wasn’t really my favorite; he was a part-time university professor at Western Oregon and a part-time high school band director at West Salem High School. 3.I never did marching band because I was playing for my school’s freshman football team. I had always thought that marching band were for weak kids. However, I slowly became obsessed with marching band for no apparent reason. 4.Luckily, my school district hired a new band director. This was a feeling of relief to me because all I wanted to do was quit band. 2009

Add: Leadership and Marching Band 1.My obsession with marching band grew very fast. I suddenly started having dreams about being a drum major. 2.Since I have dreamed of being drum major, I started attending summer leadership camps. My first camp was on a weekend in the month of June I was trained as a drum major.

High School: Advanced Band (Soph.) 1.Since my freshman year, the program has been through some significant changes. One of the changes include omitting the Concert Band ensemble and combining it to the Advanced Band. 2.This was the year that I had finally decided to do marching band, however, I marched on bass clarinet (which was something that had never been done before at my high school). 3.During the spring, I had the opportunity to travel on tour to Disneyland; it was a very fun and social experience. 4.A week after school got out for summer, I continued my second year of leadership training. 2010

High School: Advanced Band (Junior) 1.As my new band director became accustomed to the high school and its social culture, our band program continues to improve. 2.This was the first year that our marching band has received first place in a marching band championship contest. 3.I also became more involved: I participated in an indoor competitive marching percussion ensemble, and I did symphony orchestra. 4.This was also one of my most academically successful years, and it was the most successful year by far in personal achievement accomplishments. 5.Additionally, this was the year that I have started to consider music education as one of my career choices. 2011

High School: Wind Ensemble (Senior) 1.This was the most prevalent year of success for me in academics, music, and leadership. I was held responsible for being a part of my band’s leadership council, I was able to audition successfully into wind ensemble (the highest tier ensemble), and I was chosen as a drum major candidate for the fall season. 2.I was selected to be one of the bass clarinetists of the 2013 NAfME All-Northwest Honor Band. 3.Out of the two bass clarinetists that was in the Wind Ensemble, I was promoted to being the principle bass clarinetist. 4.I continued with indoor percussion and symphony orchestra. 5.At the end of the year, I was recognized with the “Overall Hardest Worker” award (from fall), and “Most Outstanding Band Member” (from spring). 2012

To end this timeline… 1.Junior year and Senior year were both my most successful years: 1.Junior being the most academically successful: 1.I took honors’ classes on was able to get on honor roll. 2.Senior year being the most musically successful: 1.I was chosen to be a one of the drum major candidates for the marching season of I made it into my high school’s premier wind ensemble. 3.I made All-Northwest. 4.I was promoted to principle bass clarinet in wind ensemble. 5.I was the equipment manager in band council. 6.I received two prestigious awards during my senior year. These were the reasons why I wanted to become a music educator. It was because of my success and improvements in music that had a major influence on me. Not only were my accomplishments were part of what influenced me to pursue music in college, it was my high school band director who took part in that influence as well. He pushed our band program so that we are highly accomplished and successful as much as possible. In the end, my band director was able to meet his goals of teaching his students to be highly accomplished, and I was able to learn to become a very successful student. TODAY

For more information on my accomplishments and successes, visit 1drummajor.com/history

©2016 Gordon Truong.