We have a lot of incredible people teaching for our programs, and while our students get to work with them every week, we know that our wider community might not know them!
Our featured teacher for September, Jessi Spike Gravelle, is our Elemental Choir Director! She is also an elementary music teacher for SMMUSD.
EM: How long have you been teaching for Elemental Music?
JSG: I started teaching for Elemental Band as the flute instructor in 2015.. When Elemental Music expanded its programs to include its very first vocal music group, Elemental Choir (EC), I was super excited to be the director from the beginning with that first EC group in 2016.
EM: How did you get started in music?
JSG: My older sister (2 years older) was taking piano lessons. I insisted I was big enough to take lessons too! I was turning 4 years old at the time. In addition to taking piano lessons, I remember singing in choir from a very early age. My formal training in voice wouldn't come until later, but by 6th grade I was playing piano and flute, singing in both school and church choir, and participating in musical theatre in school.
EM: What inspired you to become a music teacher?
JSG: I'm pretty sure I always knew I would be a teacher. And since everything I did seemed to revolve around music, becoming a music teacher seemed logical! I have very fond, inspirational memories of my piano teachers, and of my band and choir teachers as well. By high school, I was helping younger students learn flute and assisting my choral and band director by using my piano accompanist skills at performances and competitions. My training in piano pedagogy at Michigan State University, music education at UCLA, and a Master's degree in English have all allowed me to see that there are definitely a variety of paths open to those who really want to teach!
EM: You are a music teacher for the SMMUSD. Can you talk a bit about what it is like to work with so many of our students both in school and out of school?
JSG: I love sharing music with, and educating students in both the public school setting, and special programs like Elemental Choir. I have been working with the choral, general music, and instrumental programs in the elementary schools in the SMMUSD since 2000, and with the middle school choral program since 2010. I find working with students in after-school programs such as private lessons and Elemental Choir gives me a really well-rounded understanding of how they learn, digest, and expand their musical knowledge. Programs like Elemental Choir allow me to spend that extra time students need to deepen their understanding and polish their skills.
EM: What makes Santa Monica such a special place to teach music?
JSG: Santa Monica – both the community and the school system – value the arts and, in particular, music. There are very few elementary school music programs as extensive and performance-based as SMMUSD’s programs. The Santa Monica community at large offers students from many backgrounds and cultures the opportunity to explore the art of music as part of their core education. It's a wonderful place to work, and programs like Elemental Choir allow a diverse group of students to have a place to come together to sing and learn.
EM: What is one of your favorite musical memories?
JSG: Wow. Very hard to answer. I would say I have many! Traveling to Toronto with my high school wind ensemble (in which I initially played bassoon, then flute), successfully auditioning for the music program at Michigan State University (flute and piano) and auditioning/transferring to UCLA (piano), and most of all, participating in the elite University Chorale at Michigan State were highlights for me. My favorite musical memories are definitely all about being part of a group in an educational setting, or being accepted into groups/programs based on my musical experience and skills.
EM: If you could give our students one piece of advice, musical or otherwise, what would it be?
JSG: Remember, there is never just one way to do something like music! It's an art form, so there isn't always a "right" or "wrong" way to achieve success. I would also tell them that the more you put into it, the more you get out. It does take effort, but it is worth every bit of that effort!
EM: Is there anything else you’d like to add, that you think might be interesting for our community?
JSG: Just that in this unusual time of Covid and distance learning, I really appreciate the fact that all of my teaching environments – my private music school (the Santa Monica Academy of Music), my classes with SMMUSD, and of course, the Elemental Choir program – in spite of great challenges, have all continued to serve the community and allow me to do what I love most: teaching music and sharing the skill of making music with all of my students. I am so thankful to still be doing my job within such a wonderfully supportive environment, even in the midst of everything we are currently experiencing. I know it might seem overused, but because I live it everyday, I truly believe "Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." - Plato.