| Who's
Who: Nancy Wegrzyn
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in Monticello page
Name:
Nancy Wegrzyn
Position & school(s): Monticello High School - Orchestra
director/string lessons/advanced placement Music Theory/chamber
music/independent study music composition.
How long have you been teaching? 27 years. How long at Monticello?
23 years.
Where did you go to college? What degrees do you hold? Bachelor
of Music in Music Education from SUNY Fredonia. Master of Science
in Music Education from the College of Saint Rose.
Any awards/accomplishments? Any claims to fame?
-
NYSSMA All-State
Adjudicator
-
Presenter of
Chamber Music workshops for the NYS School Music Association
Winter Conference and the New Hampshire Music Educators
Conference.
-
Served twice on
the All-State Orchestra Selection Committee
-
NYSSMA Manual
Revision Committee three times.
-
Guest conductor
for Orange and Dutchess Counties' All-County Orchestras
-
Recipient of
twelve "Meet the Composer" grants, administered by
the NYS Council on the Arts.
-
Commissioned by
the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance to write an operetta for
their 10-year anniversary.
-
Commissioned by
Fallsburg High School to write a piece for Honors Band
-
Has had
compositions featured on a Concert of Women Composers at
Adelphi University
-
Principal
violist of the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra
What’s your favorite part of your job? Working with
adolescents.
Why did you become a music teacher? I was too
passionate about music to ever enter a career that didn't have a
music focus. My teachers influenced me because they LOVED their
jobs, just as I do now.
Did you do anything else before you became a music teacher?
No.
In your opinion, why do you think music education is important?
Music is part of the fabric of our lives. It is everywhere, as a
mood enhancer and an emotional kick (think scary movie soundtrack)
and even insidiously in the background.
After graduation,
most of these students will have more music in their lives than
they will math, if only as background. Doesn't it serve us well to
educate them about music so as consumers they make good choices in
what they listen to and in what they purchase? On top of that,
educating our youth about the Arts is as crucial as educating them
about the scientific. Let's work with all parts of the brain here!
How has music influenced your life? It IS my life.
Who is your favorite musician? An impossible question
to answer.
What CD is in your CD player right now? Nothing, but my
iPod holds Nickelback, Snoop Dogg, Bond, and the London
Philharmonic.
What are your hobbies? Camping, sports, outdoor
activities.
What advice would you offer to an aspiring musician?
WORK HARD - Anything worth doing is worth doing well. There is no
instant gratification in learning to make music, but there is
lasting satisfaction.
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