wisconsin music educators association president


Making a Difference – For Life Paul Budde, WMEA President


As I look back on my own life journey, it is easy to iden- tify experiences and events that not only enhanced my love of music, but ultimate- ly influenced me to pursue a career in music education.


I grew up in a musical family. My dad played tuba in the local community band and orchestra as well as in a Dixieland band and brass quintet. My mom played piano and loved playing records on our living room stereo. Each of my siblings played at least one musical instrument, whether on their own at home or con- nected to school band. Our home was joyfully chaotic, filled with the sounds of tuba, piano, guitar and flute – sometimes with music playing on the stereo at the same time. Not to be outdone, I took up the trumpet in fifth grade, but it wasn’t long before I switched to tuba. In the early years, playing tuba was just something I did – one of many activities that happened on any given day. Then, in high school, our wind ensemble performed Elliot Del Borgo’s “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.” This was my first real foray into a comprehensive approach to music education. As I learned about the background story for that piece and then tried to bring the music to life through that lens, I was deeply moved. That experience touched my heart and made me realize that music was something I wanted to do for life. The culmination of these perfor- mance-based experiences from my youth led to a lifetime of music. My journey has been so much richer as a result.


Music making was an obvious part of my journey, but it is clear to me now that performing was one of several important musical components in my life. I have always loved listening to music, and my musical tastes were (and still are) quite


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eclectic. Like many of my classmates, I was a huge fan of Journey, The Police, Genesis and Chicago during my adoles- cent years. Unlike most of my peers, I also enjoyed listening to classical music and jazz. I was a huge fan of the Canadian Brass and idolized tubist Chuck Daellen- bach (who, remarkably, is still performing with the quintet). Although I didn’t admit it at the time, I enjoyed listening to polkas with my family after dinner each night when my parents turned on our local radio station’s broadcast of The Old Barn Show. Growing up in a Catholic household, I looked forward to December 1 each year, the day we unpacked our holiday decora- tions – and (more importantly) started listening to Christmas music. Suffice it to say, listening to music has always been an important part of my life. There truly is music for any occasion and mood, and, for that, I am so thankful.


Although performing and listening to music have been most central, creating music has also been a part of my journey. As a high school student, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to take a music theory class. For the culminating project, I arranged Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” for our high school orchestra. I also vividly recall composing music for brass quintet as I swept the floors of our local Radio Shack store after school, eager to put my ideas down on paper when I got home. The creative aspects of music carried through to adulthood, as I composed music for band during my time as a middle school teacher, processional marches for my siblings’ weddings, and even humorous songs about my beloved Green Bay Packers. While composition has been more of a hobby than a calling for me, I can say with certainty that cre- ating music is truly a magical process of self-discovery.


I share my own journey as a reminder that, as music educators, we are afforded an awesome opportunity to help students


“It is up to us to


provide purposeful experiences that encourage students to develop their own musical voices.”


connect to music in ways that will im- pact their lives long after they leave our classrooms. For some students, making music is central in their journey. Despite the hurdles we face at present, there are meaningful ways to help students engage in music making, especially if we are open to exploring alternative options re- garding how to do so. For other students, listening to music is what brings them joy. It is up to us to help students develop critical listening skills as well as a spirit of curiosity and open-mindedness to the diversity of music that exists today. For other students, creating is their primary path to musical fulfillment. It is up to us to provide purposeful experiences that encourage students to develop their own musical voices. Through it all, we can help students better understand themselves and the world around them, leading to a more meaningful and joy-filled life journey.


Regardless of the challenges that surfaced in 2020 (and continue now, as we move into a new year), we have an opportunity as music educators to make a positive difference in the lives of our students – a difference that can last a lifetime. What a gift that is!


Paul Budde is the music education coordinator at UW-River Falls. Email: paul.budde@uwrf.edu


January 2021


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