We have a lot of incredible people teaching for our programs, and while our students get to work with them every week, we know that our wider community might not know them!
Our featured teacher for October, Christie Glaser, is a coach for Elemental Band and teacher for our Bergmann Project!
EM: Can you talk a little bit about your history with Elemental Music and what programs you teach for?
CG: I have been working with Elemental Music since 2015, I think. The first couple of years I assisted with the administrative side of Elemental Strings and Band and taught flute with the Bergmann Project. I still teach with Bergmann and now coach the Elemental Band flutes as well!
EM: How did you get started in music and how did you choose your instruments?
CG: I started playing flute in fourth grade at Grant Elementary School with Elemental Music's very own Kirsten Bersch*! She was and is still a wonderful teacher and person. I actually wanted to play violin, but my parents already had a flute from my sister's previous playing so they encouraged me to try flute instead. It turned out that I really enjoyed playing it and continued playing through John Adams Middle School, Samohi, and beyond!
I started playing tuba in 7th grade, inspired by a girl in the Samohi marching band who played sousaphone. I thought she was the coolest. I started learning tuba that week at John Adams and continued playing tuba in eight years of marching band at Samohi and Syracuse University!
*note from EM: Former Elemental Music teacher Kirsten Bersch was a founding board member of the organization and taught for Elemental Strings for many years
EM: What inspired you to become a professional musician and music teacher?
CG: My music classes were always where I felt most at-home; they made me feel like my voice and abilities mattered. The connections and friendships I have made through ensembles have been essential to forming who I am. I truly believe that music enables people to grow and connect in a unique way that nothing else can. As a music teacher, I get to share what I love so much and help others learn about themselves and make these amazing connections too!
EM: Ok...this might be wrong but...I think you also do a lot of yoga. Do you find that your music and your yoga practices influence each other?
CG: Haha! This is not entirely wrong! I do enjoy yoga, but I have recently started training Contortion and Hand balancing at a circus school. Like music, I have found that these very detail-oriented activities are humbling and help me tune into my body, feelings, and thoughts. I also just really enjoy being upside-down and rolling around on the floor!
Absolutely! Contortion and Hand Balancing have brought more awareness to my breathing and body that I use for my flute playing and teaching regularly. Small things like a tilt of the head or bend in the spine can make a big difference in instrument playing. I also have a lot of fun experimenting playing my instruments and using movement/flexibility/strength training to support phrasing.
EM: What is one of your favorite musical memories?
CG: Oh my goodness, there are so many to choose from! I would have to pick two: traveling to and performing in Europe with the Samohi Symphony Orchestra, and playing Rite of Spring with AYS (American Youth Symphony) in Disney Hall.
EM: If you could give our students one piece of advice, musical or otherwise, what would it be?
CG: Always try! Mistakes are okay and allow us self-discovery, resilience, and deeper understanding. It can be scary to try new things, but you never grow if you don’t try. Every new thing you learn enables you to connect with more things and people around you.
EM: Is there anything else you'd like to add, that you think might be interesting for our community?
CG: Elemental Music rocks!