Ila Bumagin, Senior, Editor-in-Chief
Meet Ms. Rachel Michtom, Marblehead High School’s new band teacher! Ms. Michtom directs Concert Band, Marching Band, and Jazz Band. Beyond that, she teaches History of Rock and Roll, piano, electronic music, and guitar classes.
This position is Ms. Michtom’s first full-time teaching job. She has a bachelor’s from Lawrence in music and education studies, and a master of music in music education. She was a substitute teacher in the Boston Public Schools last year.
While her degrees are in flute, and that is her primary instrument, “Part of music education is learning about every instrument, so I’m proficient in every instrument in this room.” (There were a lot of instruments in there.) This way, she can help any student in the moment. I asked if there was any instrument she wished she played, and she said the violin and shared, “I wish I stuck with it, strings are beautiful.”
I asked what her favorite thing about teaching is so far. She said, “I love teaching because I like getting to make a difference. I took band in high school as well, and my high school band teacher is one of my idols. Getting to create that space for other students that I had as a student is very important to me.” As a music student, there is nothing quite like the community of the band or chorus room. It’s fully appreciated. She explained how this has been easy in Marblehead, and she has received lots of support and welcomes from the Marblehead community.
Her hopes for this year: “I know the band program has been through a lot in the last few years. I want to help rebuild it and increase the number of people. Get students up from the middle school and build a strong band.”
In any high school ensemble, there will be varying levels of skill and experience. I asked how she handles that. She uses time in Magic Block (a free block all high school students have) for individual lessons and occasionally runs sectionals. She says that the more experienced students will often lead and teach the others. In addition, “There will always be different groups and I do my best to make sure they feel comfortable.”
Marching band is the band at football games. They are much more popular in the Midwest and the South than they are here. However, Marblehead High School has a small but mighty marching band. She says, “It’s been an interesting adjustment to have that be an expectation here. Marching Band is a separate class from the Concert Band. There are only 10 students in our marching band, which makes it hard to do marching performances at games. It’s a different type of music, more pop and rock, and more about the feel and energy. Meanwhile, the Jazz Band focuses on jazz and swing and big band.”
Ms. Michtom is enthusiastic about all the ensembles and learning about the Marblehead community. She is from just outside Portland, Oregon, and she has lived all over the United States. She compares Marblehead and her Oregon hometown: “It’s different in a lot of ways, but similar in demographics and emphasis on tradition, as well as academic rigor. But, it’s also much older. There’s of course a cultural difference. Interesting adjustment, especially living in the Midwest for a bit, too.”
I asked for a fun fact, and she did not disappoint. She said, “I was a founding member of a mariachi ensemble in college. We were invited to play at a minor league baseball game and got to throw the first pitch.” Pretty awesome!
Finally, I asked if there was anything that she wanted students and parents to know. She said the best way Marblehead can support the performing arts and the band is by attending the band concert. That’s on December 19 at Veterans Middle School at 7:00 pm. Don’t miss it!
Thank you to Ms. Michtom for the interview, and welcome to Marblehead!