Teacher Feature: Elise Hackl-Blumstein

• Elise Hackl-Blumstein
• Posted 9/24/21
• 1 comments

Get to know our authors.  In our  “Teacher Feature,”  you will not only learn about our  contributors’  professional endeavors but also get to know them as  humans  too.  Just like our readers – our authors are actively teaching in schools across the United States. 

Some interesting facts we learned about Elise…

How did you end up becoming a music teacher?

I have always dreamt of being a music educator, and more specifically, an accessible music educator. Truly — while other kids were playing “house,” I was encouraging family members to create music in different ways and playing “accessible music teacher.” Coming from a neurodivergent background, I was always able to connect with music and noticed that it had the same impact on others. Music was the vehicle for human connection — a large source of human connection — and I wanted to continue to foster that for generations to come.

What inspires you to share your experiences with other teachers?

Coming from a neurodivergent background, I’ve really had to adapt music in ways that work for me, an area in which I truly empathize with my students. We all have different strengths and challenges, and when there is a misunderstanding or gap, there are so many people who can rely on personal experience to help guide us towards a solution. I’ve been blessed to have people to lean on along the way, and I enjoy doing the same — working together to create the best possible future for all music learning experiences.

What has been the biggest surprise/revelation about being a music teacher?

Often, we teach what we were taught. Though times change — for better and for worse — the strategies we implement and ways in which we teach change based on our students. The biggest revelation to me after my first few years of teaching was that we never just get to build our year and be done. There are always new lessons to create, new activities to align, and new challenges. Now, however, I’ve learned that though there will be new elements, utilizing familiar pieces (songs, activities) is part of the change. Making a minor change to one lesson or one activity can really impact its success.

How do you deal with stress?

It’s very different for me — stress tends to be something that helps me hyperfocus, so I almost always do better under pressure than without any! When I’m not stressed, I often carefully structure my day, week, month (I usually have 7 planners going at once — it’s my thing!) so that I am both taking care of everything on my list, but also giving myself tasks like eating and drinking water which are vital for being at my best.

Fun Facts About You?

What is your favorite food?

I could eat over-easy eggs any time of the day!

What is your favorite style of music to listen to?

I’m a big a cappella nerd — I sang a cappella in college and now work part-time for a company that puts on a cappella events around the globe. I love the live elements, especially working with high school and middle school students to hone in their voices as they start to understand that the ensemble needs them to function. It’s a truly vulnerable form of music and can make space for an incredible interpersonal connection.

Did you know sunflowers always face the sun, and when it’s gloomy, they look towards each other? They’re my absolute favorite flower (the feature of my wedding bouquet), we’re growing some in our yard this summer, and I even have a sunflower tattoo!

What is your favorite school-appropriate beverage — are you a cola or coffee drinker?

I love flavored sparkling water! I never really liked coffee, but do need the boost in the morning.

What is your favorite book?

I read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon in middle school and have read it probably a hundred time since. It was the first book in which I had seen an autistic character portrayed as anything other than “just autistic,” and it just resonated with me. I was lucky enough to see a performance of the play in London (where the book takes place) and was very impressed.

If you could be a superhero, who would you be and why?

I don’t know about superheroes, but my superpower would be the ability to speak any language at any given time. It would be quite useful!