"Conducting our University Chorale and Chamber Singers my junior year gave me invaluable experience working with top musicians and honing my rehearsal abilities. Student teaching allowed me to use that experience and apply it to a more realistic setting after graduation."
At SAU, you can expand your passion for music into a professional teaching career, just ask Parker. He says our leading music and education programs – combined with extensive practicums – gave him phenomenal preparation for his career as a middle and high school choir director.
Current Position:
Middle and High School Choir Director, Orion (Illinois) School District
Why SAU?
At SAU, Parker realized how much he enjoys learning. "I was constantly fed new information and techniques related to music, rehearsal strategies, and the historical context of composers. I loved it!" His education professors encouraged Parker and his peers to be "lead learners" when they teach. "This means you model for the students a hunger to always learn something new and never assume you know everything." He not only enjoys this approach, "I focus on that every chance I get."
How were you involved at SAU, and how did it change you?
The SAU community had a deep impact on Parker's life, and it continues today. "Being involved in multiple choral ensembles, playing men's volleyball, and joining the Bridge Bible Fellowship allowed me to meet some amazing people. Many of them have become my closest friends, people I truly trust. St. Ambrose gave that to me." We have more than 60 student clubs and organizations you can join and a large number of campus-wide events that will keep you active and involved.
How did your Ambrosian experience impact your life?
Parker is completely different than the first-year student who arrived on campus. Playing volleyball taught him the importance of consistency and supporting those around him. Music taught him to be a leader. Most of all, at SAU he discovered a deep, spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ. "Nothing has changed me more. I get to know Him more every day and change more into His likeness continually. It was the best thing to ever happen to me," he says. Our Campus Ministry programs are open to all students no matter your religious background. You can grow your faith or just explore activities that let you have a positive impact on the community and world.
Why Choose the Music Education Program?
Parker's passion was music, and his goal was to enter a profession he would enjoy his entire life. "I knew I was pursuing my gift, and when Associate Professor Dr. Nathan Windt arrived my junior year, everything lined up. There is no person who more positively affected my college education than he did. His experience, insight, and guidance are what made me the director I am today." Our professors want to get to know you, as a person and as a student. Our 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio ensures you get individual attention and expert guidance.
