Ann Felder at Monroe Public Schools in Monroe, MI is in her 37th year of teaching in a career that has included orchestra, piano, music theory, elementary general music, literary elements of film, remedial reading, theater, health, and overseeing virtual second grade. Ann is active in the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association and has had a seat on the district or state executive boards for the past nine years. She was named Orchestra Teacher of the Year for District 12 in 2018. Ann is also a member of ASTA and has spent several years as a violist with the Adrian Symphony Orchestra.

Tell us about your school’s orchestra program?

Our district usually starts string players in 6th grade with a before-school class at the middle school. After class, our instrumental music students are bused back to their assigned elementary schools to start their days. Last year with COVID my district was remote most of the year and no beginners were started, making our 7th graders beginners this year as well. We have a middle school orchestra, a high school orchestra and offer after-school opportunities for high school students with Frenchtown Fiddlers and Chamber Strings.

What instruments do you play/teach?

My primary instrument is viola, although I play a lot of violin. In addition to 6th–12th grade orchestra, I also teach piano classes at Monroe High School and am the organist at my church.

How did your career in music get started?

When I was very young, my parents sent my brothers and me to a parochial school that had no special subjects. In second grade, we were moved to the local public school where we had music class twice a week, and I thought it was the greatest thing ever! I started piano lessons with that music teacher and decided then that I wanted to be a music teacher when I grew up, and I never wavered from that path. I was blessed with some wonderfully supportive teachers and parents who always seemed to make it work when opportunities became available.

What’s your favorite piece to play?

For me personally, I love playing Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony. With my groups, it always makes me smile when we play something by Robert Longfield. Bob was my high school orchestra director in Davison, Michigan. Presently, we’re working on his string arrangement of Canarios by Gaspar Sanz as a focus on 6/8 time.

What are some of your other hobbies?

I love to read and I love to travel. I particularly enjoy the vacations shared with family. Whether it’s a weekend away with brothers and sisters or a three-week jaunt that covers multiple countries, I’m always game. My husband and I have three beautiful grandchildren, so sharing activities with them is time that we treasure as well.

What has been your favorite moment as a teacher?

My husband and I toured China a couple times with the South Shore Orchestra out of Valparaiso, Indiana. Each time we went, I had former students who played in the orchestra with us. It’s very satisfying to know that you helped someone develop a passion for playing an instrument that continues beyond their school years, regardless of their chosen career paths.

What do you find to be the best motivator for students?

I think students always need a reason to excel. We know as professionals how easy it is to let our own practice slide if we don’t have a compelling reason to take our instrument out of the case. With students, that’s even more true. Performance motivates all of us to some degree, but even that can start to feel rather ordinary. Take it up a notch. Maybe the reason is an adjudicated festival. Maybe it’s a new concert venue. We do our December Candlelight Classics concert in one of the area churches each year. We have more community members attend that concert than we ever would in our school auditorium, and the idea of playing for people who have never heard us before motivates many students to spend a little more time on their instruments.

What are your future goals as a musician and teacher?

This will be my final year of full-time teaching as I am retiring in June. With that in mind, I am looking forward to shifting my focus from teaching back to playing. After all, we became musicians because we love to play!

Any New Years resolutions of big goals for 2022?

My big goal is simply to have everything in place for someone else to make a smooth transition into my position so the program can continue seamlessly.

January 2022 Teacher Spotlight: Ann Felder