Excellence in the classroom strikes a chord.
Dr. Kandis Taylor is helping music students at Lakeridge Junior High School hit the high notes.
She has been recognized as an “Outstanding Jazz Educator” by the National Band Association, but her impact goes much deeper than one award can convey.
“In my 20 years I have never seen a teacher who is so dedicated and has such an art and craft of engaging all students,” said Derek Elison, principal at Lakeridge Junior High. “She’s the best.”
He noted that Taylor’s reputation for excellence was well-known long before she joined the school’s faculty. "I remember before I came here I heard about her and I thought, ‘there is no way she can be as good as everyone says.’ Then I got here and it was even better than I imagined," Elison said.
Taylor says that music education offers students a unique and rewarding reason to attend school each day. She views her classroom as a space where student-centered experiences allow children to feel a sense of accomplishment.
“These are the classes that students come to school for fun, to feel rewarded,” Taylor explained.
They have lots of options. Taylor teaches Beginning Brass, Concert Band, Beginning Woodwinds,
Intermediate Percussion, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Band.
Dallin Buer is a 7th-grader who plays trombone in Beginning Brass.
“It was actually really hard to start learning, but once you get used to it starts catching on,” he said. “There’s a lot more to it than just playing the notes.”
"The thing I love the most about being a music educator is seeing and influencing beginner musicians," Taylor said. "From the very beginning I love seeing the amount of growth that happens—from the time they start junior high to the time they finish high school".
Taylor wants to extend that influence into the local high school.
“She is so dedicated that this year she teaches a course at Mountain View High to create a bridge, so we have a feeder program,” said Elison. “She wants her students to continue to play and develop their talents for years to come and so we have students that are so excited to develop beyond their time here at Lakeridge.”
Her goal is to ensure students walk away with more than just musical proficiency.
“I hope the life skill that they get is the ability to understand that they're capable of doing difficult things," she said.
Elison calls her “the ultimate warm demander.”
“She has very high expectations for her students,” he said. “When a student sees that their teacher believes in them, they’ll develop the confidence they need to grow.”
“I kind of want to go to college now and play in the band and then maybe even teach music,” said Buer. “She’s helped me understand how music works and know that I really like it even more than I thought I would.”
"I just feel like I have the best job in the whole world because I had to come to school everyday and teach music to kids," she shared. "What a great way to spend a career.”