Becoming a talented musician doesn’t come with a snap of the finger or a twirl of  a wand. While researching a little more with how your brain can work with music, John Hopkins Medicine stated that listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory. Music plays a big part in our daily lives as you all may know. From you listening to music in the car to a late night jam sesh with your friends. The teacher behind the new modern band/guitar also believes music is an important part of any person’s life. Ms. Moyer, a teacher at MASH, has been teaching music in the district since September 2012. Some of the classes consist of concert choir, treble, and modern band/guitar. She is also the director of the MASHApella and MASH Harmonics. A couple years after she began teaching here she started up the program for the class, modern band/guitar, which soon became a huge hit.

For the class itself, the students all seem to thoroughly enjoy every moment inside the class. Some of the instruments provided are the piano, keyboards, drums, guitars, and many other instruments. While asking the students what their favorite go-to instrument was, Silas Lashbrook, a junior at MASH, said, “I love to play the piano and use my voice. Playing and singing always bring me a lot of joy.” Most of the students said they would recommend the class to their peers because of the way the environment is a positive atmosphere. Ben Kuhn, a freshman at MASH, said, “Yes I absolutely would recommend the class. I feel like this class is fun and we get to learn different instruments.” After getting feedback about the class, Alyssa Smith, a sophomore at MASH, encourages students to try music and believes there are so many more students that are talented in music that should stop by. 

I spoke to Ms. Moyer and interviewed her on her thoughts about the class. I asked what her favorite activity to do with your students was, and she said, “My favorite activity with the students is when they create parodies. They get to be very creative and have fun while doing it!” The class isn’t just for instruments. She enjoys adding voices in as well whenever students want to. She attended a Modern Band Session for teachers, and fell in love with it. She knew right away that students at MASH would like to take a class like this. A lot of the students come up with ideas in the class. I lastly asked her to give me a fun fact about herself. She stated, “I bought my first guitar at a garage sale in Conneaut Lake for $10 in 2004.  I then taught myself to play.  I was 37 years old.  It is never too late to learn something new!  I’ve bought a couple nicer instruments since then, and that guitar now hangs in Julian’s Restaurant in Meadville.” From working with Ms. Moyer personally, I can assure you that she is an amazing teacher and only wants what’s best for her students.

In conclusion, you can tell that each individual in the class finds the environment a very positive space to be. Music comes from individuals at a young age, why not be a part of the next generation of musicians. Even if it’s just you playing the piano at your church, playing the guitar in a local band, or simply just to have the experience. For all you know, music may be your new hobby! Don’t be afraid to email her at [email protected] for more information or questions!