We are recognizing two teachers for our December Teacher of the Month, the husband and wife team of Rachel Peña and Jose Ramos from Knoxville. Both are teachers in the Knox County School district and were nominated by Michael Toth, the principal at Bearden Middle School. Their enthusiasm for music and teaching has had a remarkable impact on their students and we look forward to watching their programs flourish in the years to come.

Tell us about your school’s orchestra program?

José:

Beaumont Magnet Academy

In 2017 I started a multi-instrumental music program at Beaumont Magnet Academy. All Kindergarten students are part of the Rhythmic Band. This ensemble focuses on mastering basic musical skills like steady beat, basic rhythmic patterns with classroom percussion instruments and body percussion.
In a spiral curriculum, these same skills are presented in a more advanced method for all first graders. Their ensemble is called Melodic Band and they focus on playing the melodies that they are singing on melodic instruments. Harmonic instruments and a rhythmic section are combined. This ensemble presents a setting where my students are playing different parts at the same time. These instruments help develop motor skills that are necessary for future instruments. Skills like singing basic melodies in tune, playing together as an ensemble in unison and following the director/teacher are also learned in Kindergarten.
Second through fifth grade groups are comprised of the following ensembles: Ukulele Ensemble, String Orchestra, West African Drums, Keyboard Percussion, and Recorder Choir. Students are part of one of these ensembles based on their Bear Families (bear is our school mascot). We have five groups in each grade. These groups are identified with a color which we call their Bear Families:

- Orange Family / Ukulele Ensemble
- Yellow Family / String Orchestra
- Green Family / West African Drums
- Blue Family / Keyboard Percussion
- Red Family / Recorder Choir
Students represent their Bear Family in our school and also their ensemble in my class. Students will start in second grade with their ensemble, and they will continue through fifth grade mastering their instrument. This presents a gradual/sequential learning pace for our instrumental music program.

Rachel:

Bearden Middle Orchestra Holiday Concert

Our orchestra program at Bearden Middle School began in the Fall of 2021. It currently has 31 students, most of whom do not have previous experience with an instrument. Out of the ones that do, a great majority come from Mr. Ramos' amazing instrumental program at Beaumont Elementary in Knoxville. I have the honor of also calling him my husband.
Our program serves a very diverse population. We have a variety of socio-economic backgrounds and at least 5 different foreign languages spoken in our orchestra students' homes. During this first semester, we have focused on correct posture, and producing big sound, as well as music reading and rhythmic accuracy, among others. In future years, we hope to have an advanced orchestra and a beginner orchestra.

What instruments do you play/teach?

Rachel:

My main instrument is violin. I also play viola, cello, and bass, which are the other instruments I teach. When I was a child, I also played harp, which I haven't played in many years.

José:

My main instruments are plucked strings like classical, electric and acoustic guitars, ukulele, bass and Puerto Rican cuatro. I also sing and play piano. I teach various instruments in my school based on the mentioned ensembles in question one. To mention a few: ukulele, all strings, West African drums, Latin percussion, classical percussion, classroom percussion and recorders.

How did your career in music get started?

José:

I started playing in bands while I was in High School. Later in 2006, I started giving private guitar lessons in Puerto Rico. I also worked in various private schools and after school music programs. In 2016 my wife and I moved to Knoxville, TN. My first teaching job was as the Band Director for AE High School before moving to Beaumont.

Rachel:

Music has been a lifelong passion for me. I grew up surrounded by a healthy music environment at our church in Puerto Rico. There, I played harp, and was the youngest member to pass the entrance exam to the ensemble. Though my first degree is in French, I later returned to study music at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico. This conservatory is highly competitive, and I was honored to be accepted. I went on to earn a Master's in Violin performance from UT, where I earned a spot with a scholarship to do my master's degree while I was also a Teaching Assistant. Since 2009, I have been involved in teaching orchestra and in orchestra building. I feel passionate about giving underserved youths a chance at music, a chance at something they didn't have before. In Puerto Rico, I founded the orchestra at Academia Sagrado Corazon, where most students live under the poverty line.
Right before moving to Tennessee, I was the lead orchestra conductor for the Conservatory of Puerto Rico's 100x35 youth outreach program for the Handel orchestra level across the island. I taught orchestra at my center in San Juan and I also coordinated the repertoire and pedagogic materials for the rest of the centers across the island. When the big orchestra got together, I had the honor of conducting more than 200 children in full symphonic orchestra at Puerto Rico's premier concert hall, Centro de Bellas Artes. Prior to arriving at Bearden Middle, I was one of the orchestra conductors at Oak Ridge High School, where I was also in charge of small ensemble coaching and instruction.

What’s your favorite song to play?

Rachel:

Baber's violin concerto, because of its beautiful melodic lines was really fun to play. With that being said, I find beauty and joy in everything I play.

José:

: ) I used to play Bach's 1001 Fugue all the time. That was my favorite. Now as a teacher I play The Lion Sleeps Tonight with my ukulele students all the time. That's has become my new favorite one hehe. Oh! and Blackbird!!!

What are some of your other hobbies?

José:

Writing music, editing videos, and learning about tech.

Rachel:

I like spending time with our pups, going antique shopping for our home with my husband, discovering new natural wonders such as falls, playing music with my husband (violin+guitar, usually), doing videos and editing for our channel (home projects), working on our home, baking, sewing, crafting...

What has been your favorite moment as a teacher?

Rachel:

I have had many, so this is a difficult question. I am a teacher every day, to be moved by my students, and for me to move them. They inspire me with their work, their joy and their perseverance. I have had very moving moments on stage with them, seeing them shine, seeing them succeed.

José:

Seeing the joy that my students feel when they have an instrument in their hands, when they share their musical ideas with me, when they are so proud of their performances... Their love for music.

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

José:

Playing their instruments.

Rachel:

Doing. Any time we get to "do" as opposed to "talk about doing", I feel like the students are motivated by it and look forward to it. Also, I have always thought that the best motivator is to get students to "want to be there" as opposed to having to be there. Education is something that happens in a group setting, but it's incredibly individual. If you make the analogy of serving someone food, you know you can make a great meal, have the best presentation, etc, but in the end it's up to the recipient to take the food, digest it and find nourishment within it. That last part is utterly their own. When they want to learn something, that last step goes a lot smoother.

What are your future goals as a musician and teacher?

Rachel:

In the future my husband and I would both like to do our doctorate in Music Education together. I would love to continue doing orchestra and to set up collaborations with nearby schools. I also dream of an all-middle school KCS symphonic orchestra. There, many teachers could collaborate to give children of every instrument a full symphonic experience.

José:

As a musician I am looking forward to publishing my music and help many music teachers with their student's repertoire. As a teacher I look forward to keep working on my program, learn more, practice more so I can be a better teacher and person for my kids.

Any exciting plans for the holiday season or new year?

José:

I think the most exciting thing is going to be a well deserve rest with my wife, puppies, and family.

Rachel:

I look forward to seeing family and spending time with my husband and the pups. I also look forward to recording some music with my husband that we send as gifts to friends and family.

December Teacher Spotlight: Rachel Peña and José Ramos