Teachers are often not thought about outside of their teaching life, but a lot of teachers have hobbies that are important to them. I decided to go around the school and interview different teachers who have musical hobbies/interests outside of school. They all are interested in music. They either listen to music, have been to concerts, or play a musical instrument. I have never had any of these teachers before, so for me, these were the first things I learned about them. 

The teachers I spoke to include Mr. Luke Smith and Mrs. Shelly Greninger. They are both interested in music and are teachers. I thoroughly enjoyed talking to each of them and getting to learn more about them, now onto the story. 

The first teacher I spoke to was Mrs. Greninger. She is in hall E2 and teaches English II and English II Pre-AP. Mrs. Greninger has been to at least 125 concerts, maybe more, and some of the concerts have been the same band but on different days. In high school, Mrs. Greninger was in choir in high school and says she’s “always been a singer.” 

In just a few weeks, she will be seeing Papa Roach, who is one of her favorites to see live, for the third time. She says that her top favorite would have to be Ice Nine Kills because of their “theatrical shows that are really fun to watch.” The first concert Mrs. Greninger ever went to was Nelson back in the early 90s when she was only seventeen years old. 

She describes going to a concert saying, “There is no feeling that matches being in the middle of a large group of people who love the same music as you do. It’s hard to describe if you have never been a part of something like it. It’s exhilarating and SO much fun!” Mrs. Greniniger was so kind and I hope that at her next concert, she has an amazing time!

The next teacher I spoke to was Mr. Luke Smith. He is located in B2 hall and is an art teacher. During passing time, he plays songs on the guitar. He’s been playing consistently for about ten years now. 

Mr. Smith learned one song at 16 and thought he would never learn anymore, but 10 years later, he started teaching kindergarteners and said, “While I was playing music for six-year-olds, I wasn’t afraid to make mistakes, and because of that I learned how to play more and more.” 

He also plays the ukulele, harmonica, and a little bit of the accordion. His favorite song to play is “Riptide” by Vance Joy because “It’s an easy one to play and a lot of fun.” 

He says, “Playing guitar for me is a way that I express myself. I feel like there are certain ways that your soul can speak that are sometimes only translatable via music. (…) Music brings people together, so it’s a lot of fun to play and sing as a group. Guitar is also symbolic for me. It’s a way for me to remember that if I practice and set my mind to something, I can figure it out. I doubted myself for years, thinking that I just wasn’t musical. Then, as an adult, I finally learned how to play, and I realized that most of our limits are just things we make up for ourselves in our own heads(…)” 

I’m very thankful to Mr. Smith and Mrs. Greninger for answering my questions and being so kind. I truly enjoyed learning about their musical interest and what it means to them. I hope their experiences help to inspire you and begin to enjoy things that are good for you and aren’t going to hurt you.