JAM Dec/JAN 2013 - Download now - Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors

Amy Lewis's Journey
from 18th and Vine to the Classroom
Whenever Jayne McShann
Lewis and I would run into each
other the subject would always turn
to how our kids were doing. So there
was no surprise when she called to
talk about what daughter Amy was
up to.
Amy was raised in music. Jayne
would take her down to the Blue
Room, and she got to meet and hear
the great musicians that play there,
and of course soak up everything
else in that scene. Grandfather Jay
was her first teacher. “I still remember
the first ‘lick’ he taught me on
piano,” she says. “He would always
tell me to never stop learning. I took
that lesson and have applied to all
aspects of my life.
“When I began college at De-
Paul University, I had no intention
of majoring in Music Education.
I was heavily involved in music in
high school. Although I had these
experiences, I was not interested in becoming a music
educator. It wasn’t until I was an intern at the Mutual
Musician’s Foundation’s Summer Camp of 2007 that I
was inspired to become a music educator. That summer,
the students showed me the amount of joy that takes place
when teaching. The amount of learning and fun that summer
was truly rewarding. I realized that the educational
side of music is just as life changing as the music itself.”
Amy graduated Cum Laude from the DePaul University
School of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education.
She has been teaching at the Iroquois Community
School in Des Plaines, Illinois. The school is elementary
through middle school, and Amy teaches Band, Jazz Band,
Choir, and General Music. “Now that I am in my third
year of teaching, my goals are to continue to grow as an
By Roger Atkinson
educator and inspire students everyday
through all aspects of music. This can
be done through collaborating with
many local musicians, educators and
even community members. I currently
teach a wide range of classes
and students. My objective for all of
my classes is for the students to gain an
appreciation for the power of music. I
challenge my students to acknowledge
the impact music has had on their
lives. Then they must reflect on why
music has impacted them in that way.
I want students to be able to articulate
why they like a specific artist or genre.
These skills can be transferable to
many different life skills and are not
only unique to music.”
Her dedication is being recognized.
“Last year, I was a clinician at the Illinois
Music Educator’s Association
Conference. There were about 20,000
music educators that attended the
conference. Speaking at such a large
conference challenged me to grow as an educator and as
a person. The topic of the presentation was “The Secret
of Surviving the First Year of Teaching Music.” She also
received the award of Excellence as an Early Career Educator
from the Illinois State Board of Education. There were
three rankings for the awards; Recognition, Merit and
Excellence. Within the many recipients, there were only
about five teachers that received the highest ranking of
Excellence Award for Early Career educator. “This award
has motivated me to become a better educator. I want to
make sure that I’m doing everything I can to provide a
sound education for my students because teachers have
the most direct influence with the future, and I want the
future to be bright and filled with music!”
DECEMBER 2012 + JANUARY 2013 JAM 13