Teaching and Service

Author: Joohyun Lee, ArtistCorps

I am a first year graduate student studying violin in the School of Music. This has also been my first year as a member of ArtistCorps, where I served at four sites: Diggs-Latham Elementary School, Carter G Woodson Charter School, Paisley IB Magnet School, and Quality Education Academy. At these schools I provide arts instruction to the students. Perhaps my most impactful experience has been at Quality Education Academy, where I served with Amanda Goodwin providing violin lessons and general music instruction to one of their preschool classes.

The life motto of a music student is "practice, practice, practice." However, these students do not have access to a violin or even classical music outside the walls of their classroom. As their only music instructor, this has encouraged me to think of music in a totally new way. With each visit, my goal is to make music a fun activity and encourage curiosity and learning, whether or not they will continue their music studies when they get to elementary school. Even though their bow holds aren't perfect and some of them still don't know which side is their violin side, their excitement at just holding a violin is truly inspiring. It has changed the way I view my own craft. As easy as it is to be caught up in the technique of violin playing, in the end, music is meant to bring joy to others.

Additionally, I have had the privilege of bonding with these students. Though often they speak out of turn, they have told me about their families, what they did over the weekend, and when they lose a tooth. One girl even had the responsibility of picking my nail polish color every month. I quickly learned that with preschool student, I am not only teaching them music. In the way I speak and the way I carry myself, I am also teaching them about life. And that has been the greatest honor and responsibility of all.