loading...

SARTELL - Rebecca Elliot is a senior at Sartell High School. As part of her music education she is taking an independent study where she helps conduct the ninth grade band, and plays in the clarinet section. She has plans to continue her music education in college, but says conducting has been a learning experience.

Rebecca Elliott
(Photo: Joshua Akkerman, WJON)
Rebecca Elliott
(Photo: Joshua Akkerman, WJON)
loading...

"It's so much more difficult than you think. As being somebody sitting watching somebody who's done it for so long it looks like it's a piece of cake. I learned a few basic things that Lumley taught me, and just go with it," says Rebecca.

Sartell High School Band Director Dave Lumley says having Rebecca conduct the band has also been a learning experience for him.

"It's nice for me because when she conducts I get to go sit with the band," says Lumley, "It's great to see that perspective, and it makes me reflect on my own conducting when I sit in the band. It just makes you a little bit more aware of what the band is seeing when you're up there."

Rebecca has always been involved in music, having started piano in Kindergarten. She says her passion for music fueled her decision to spread her love of music to others. She feels having this conducting experience will help jump start her music career as a teacher, and it's an opportunity she couldn't pass up.

Lumley says Rebecca has become more aware of the band as a whole.

The first couple of times she got on the podium she was so focused on what she was doing I don't think she was really listening to what the band was playing. She was more worried about her conducting, and am I doing everything that I am suppose to be doing right. And now, she's comfortable with her conducting, and now focuses more on what she's hearing.

Rebecca Elliott
(Photo: Joshua Akkerman, WJON)
Rebecca Elliott
(Photo: Joshua Akkerman, WJON)
loading...

Rebecca's favorite part of conducting is having a relationship with the entire band.

She says, "Before I was just playing my clarinet with them, and I only knew the people next to me. Conducting I get to know all of them. I get to know what they are doing, and how their instrument works if I didn't know how to play it."

Rebecca has dreams of becoming either an elementary school or high school conductor.

 

I like the idea of being able to study music with the students

"She will do a great job at it," says Lumley, "She's a great musician, she's a great student, and she works really hard so I know she'll be successful."

If you know a student like Rebecca, nominate them below as WJON's All-Star Student.
It can be any student, in any grade, participating in any activity.

Nominate A Student Today!

More From AM 1240 WJON