Teacher Feature: Michael Pearson

Classical MPR's Teacher Feature highlights the lives and work of music teachers throughout Minnesota.

Michael Pearson

Director of Bands

Fridley High School

Fridley, Minn.

Where did you go to college?

I attended the University of Wisconsin - River Falls. I am actually a third generation Music Education graduate from the school. My grandfather, aunt, and mother also graduated from UW-RF with degrees in Music Education and my mother continues to teach at Meyer Middle School in River Falls, WI.

What grade level(s) do you teach? What types of music classes do you teach?

I teach grades 9-12; I have 2 concert ensembles, 2 jazz bands (1 curricular, 1 extra curricular), I also teach an advanced theory and history course that meets the needs of the International Baccalaureate system (Diploma Program Music) as well as a general music course entitled, "Music and Issues." This course teaches music history through parallels with the goal of making music history accessible to all students (example: when we study "The Birth of Music," I start with the blues as the foundation for the birth of modern music and then I jump back to Bach and the Baroque era to study the birth of western classical music. This continues with "Marketing Music" by talking about The Beatles and Mozart, and then the "Birth of Punk Rock" by studying The Who and Beethoven.)

Do you direct any ensembles? If so, which ones?

I direct our Concert Band, Varsity Band, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Two, and the Pit Orchestra at Fridley High School. Outside of Fridley, I direct the After Hours Big Band and am the rehearsal director for the Metro Brass.

Do you participate in music outside the classroom? For example, do you perform with an ensemble, as a soloist, in a band, etc.?

I have actually made it a point to continue playing outside of my daily routine; making music on a regular basis helps me to stay focused on what it is that I love about music and thus why I teach music. I formed the After Hours Big Band four years ago, this is a ensemble of metro area teachers (current and retired) as well as private instructors, freelance musicians, and musicians that have a non-music day jobs. We are able to play a wide variety of professional level charts and continue to perform around the Twin Cities and Western Wisconsin. In addition to performing with and directing the After Hours Big Band, my wife and I play with the Shoreview Northern Lights Variety Band. I also play in the horn section of a band from Rochester, and I am the rehearsal director for the Metro Brass, an area brass choir.

Where do you see music education fitting into the broader educational spectrum? How does it help or enhance other curricular areas?

Studying music in school offers a unique educational experience to the students involved; when asked this question, I often quote Aristotle by stating, "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts".

In Music Education, specifically in musical ensembles, students are entering the classroom with a certain individual skill set and sitting down to work collaboratively, often without words, to create a product that reaches a higher level of quality than that of their own individual playing (this is something that is often overlooked when talking about music advocacy). We continue to hear from the business realm that the world needs more skilled students who are able to think outside of the box and work collaboratively to tackle the challenges of today. This is the exact type of learning (and skills) that we, as music teachers, see on a daily basis. Music is not something that should fit into an educational spectrum; we have a uniqueness that should be embraced, studied, and reproduced amongst other courses.

If you were to help program a day of music at Classical MPR, what would be a piece of music you'd play in the morning? What piece of music would you play in the evening? What is it about these pieces that make them a couple of your favorites?

In the morning, I would play the opening movement of Sibelius's Second Symphony. There is no greater sound in music than the opening chords of this piece; the music feels like a hopeful and calm awakening to the day and it is my "go to" piece when I am feeling stressed out or overwhelmed because it always helps to center me and keep me focused on the bigger picture. In particular, I would like to hear the Minnesota Orchestra's version of this movement from their recent BIS recording. Osmo Vanska's approach to this symphony is passionate, and inspiring, which is a great connection to the work of music educators from across the state, from Owatonna to Warroad, from Fargo to Rochester, and all places in between, it is the passion and dedication that all music educators have for their craft and their students' that should be in the spotlight today.

In the evening, I would have to choose Copland's Clarinet Concerto. This piece is the perfect soundtrack to decompressing after an eventful day in the classroom (or the office for that matter); the jazz influence of Benny Goodman (who commissioned the piece in 1947) mixed with Copland's uniquely American sounding orchestration is a true American gem in a genre that is often defined by European composers. The piece also holds a close personal meaning to me, as it was performed on the first program that my wife and I attended together at the Minnesota Orchestra, when we were in college; it was this concert that truly opened my eyes to how awesome classical music is. I tell the story to my general music students about a good looking gal asking me if I would like to go and see the orchestra in concert; in my head, I hesitated a bit, I mean... a whole evening of classical music? But, as I tell the class, when a good looking gal asks if you'd like to go and see the orchestra perform, the answer is always "yes." Thank goodness because saying "yes" eventually led to her saying "yes," and it also opened my senses to this great piece of American music.

Gallery

Fullscreen SlideshowPrevious Slide

1 of 1

Next Slide