April Teacher Spotlight: Erica Donahoe
Mrs. Donahoe currently teaches in New Albany, Ohio and directs a string program that serves about 400 students. She earned her music degree at The Ohio State University, but before that, she actually served in the United States Air Force! Although the Air Force was a fantastic opportunity, she knew music was her true calling and is thrilled to be working with students in the classroom every day. Mrs. Donahoe student taught in Upper Arlington, Ohio which is where she was first introduced to the Baroque Violin Shop and their fantastic student tour. Mrs. Donahoe is also a composer, with several string orchestra pieces slated for publication in the spring of 2021!
Can you tell me about your school’s orchestra program?
Our school orchestra program is grade 6-12 and serves approximately 400 students. We’ve grown the program tremendously in the past several years and have hosted amazing guest artists, such as Mark Wood, Simply Three, The Moxie Strings, and more. We offer students the opportunity to explore all genres of music within the orchestra setting.
Here is a short video clip of our 7th grade orchestra: https://vimeo.com/522984757
What instruments do you play/teach?
I teach all the orchestral instruments, violin/viola/cello and bass—but the violin is my primary instrument and my one true love!
How did your career in music get started?
I started studying music at the age of three and grew up in a very musical household. After serving in the Air Force I knew I wanted to go back to music. We were fortunate to be living in Ohio at the time and I was able to study with Dr. Robert Gillespie at The Ohio State University. My first teaching job in New Albany is where I still teach today and I love it!
What’s your favorite song to play?
I’m not sure I have a favorite song. I love being able to play with a full orchestra and I currently play with the New Albany Symphony Orchestra. I love Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Brahms—all the great music of the Romantic era!
What are some of your other hobbies?
I love to be outside and I spend a lot of time hiking and camping with my family. I also love travel and seeing the world.
What has been your favorite moment as a teacher?
Every time we give a great concert I am reminded of how many children I get to impact each day, and how much they’ve learned over the years I have worked with them. It’s so rewarding to see students really develop a passion and a love for music and string instruments.
What do you find to be the best motivator for students?
I think great music is probably the best motivator for students. When students really love a piece of music they are more likely to practice and be successful. That’s one of the things I think about a lot when I write music—will kids want to play this?
What are your future goals as a musician and teacher?
I’d love to take my high school orchestra overseas someday—to combine my passion for music and travel would be so much fun. I also hope to keep writing music that will end up in classrooms across the country and inspire more kids to fall in love with music.
It’s looking like a return to normal for the fall of 2021 might just happen, how are you managing the pandemic until that time? What has been the most encouraging thing that you have seen during the pandemic?
We’ve been really fortunate to be in school for most of this school year, so I’ve been able to teach in person a lot more than many of my colleagues. That being said, we’re certainly juggling lots of different hats—sometimes teaching online and in person at the same time, or preparing content for students in quarantine. I think the most encouraging thing I have seen is that students still love music and they are sticking with it. Students are flexible and are working hard to make the best of a difficult year!