Several teachers around Salida High School not only have a passion for teaching, but a passion for music as well. After interviewing SHS teachers Brendan Cassidy, Josh Bechtel, and Heath Ellis, it is clear that music is an important part of their lives.
Ellis started playing guitar his freshman year of High School. However, he didn’t get serious about guitar until his senior year of High School. After traveling and developing his music skills, he went back to college and majored in music.
“It just grew to passion,” said Ellis.
Cassidy began playing guitar around 15 and continued his love of music by learning to play different instruments like the mandolin, violin, and Irish penny whistle. Bechtel grew up around music since his mom was a piano teacher and his step dad played trombone in the U.S. Navy. “I would come home from school, my mom would be teaching piano lessons, so I would always hear it. We always had a piano in our house. They were pretty active in the music at their church and so I was always going to their practices. […] So I think that’s where it began.” said Bechtel.
All three of these musicians agree that music positively impacts their lives and the lives of others on a daily basis. Ellis said, “Oh it’s so good for me. It’s super therapeutic. It’s like a way to sort of connect and and really create something and feel something.”
Cassidy believes that music calms the mind and slows it down almost like a form of meditation. Bechtel has been inspired by playing with Cassidy and Ellis and has started to make more of a concerted effort to improve his banjo skills.
Being a teacher and a musician comes with benefits like being able to incorporate music into your teaching style. Cassidy, Ellis, and Bechtel all incorporate their passion for music into their classrooms. Bechtel uses music to create a calming atmosphere for his students. Cassidy believes that music is a great tool for memorizing vocabulary, he said,
“In foreign languages one of the key factors is memorizing new vocabulary and it’s a great way to memorize phrases, sentences. So I always like to start off, anyone who’s taking my class knows, we always start off with La Bamba and then I teach them the words.” Ellis’s graduate program taught him that music is connected to all your core subjects in school, “There’s art in your history class and music in your history class and history in your music class and they all sort of overlap,” said Ellis.
Being a teacher and a musician comes with rewards but it also comes with challenges. Bechtel explains the challenges that come with having a job and family and still finding time for passions like music.
“I don’t play as much as I wish I did,” Bechtel states.
Ellis agrees that finding time to practice and hone in on your skill can be challenging, but when the three do come together to share their music by playing together it makes it that much more special.
All three of these passionate musicians still find the time to share their love for music with all of Salida High. When asked what advice they would give to musicians balancing academics with music, Ellis said, “Yeah I say go for it. It’s a super valuable experience. I don’t think there’s any reason not to do it. I think it enhances your learning, it helps wire your brain, it opens up new experiences for you, it’s an all around positive experience.” All three can agree that music only enhances your academics and your lives.
