Teacher of the Month - Chloe Wieczorek
What kind of music do you like to play?
I love to play and sing jazz, pop, neo-soul, and R&B. Anything that has a groove has my heart. But if I could pull it off, which I cannot, I’d strictly only perform songs from the album “Miss E...So Addictive” by Missy Elliott. It is the best female hip-hop/r&b album to date—endless bops.
How did you get into music?
My mother was a classically trained guitarist and vocalist, and my dad used to play accordion in a Polka Band. Neither pursued music professionally, but they made sure all six of their kids had some sort of musical background. I started piano lessons and joined choirs when I was in the first grade. Once I was introduced, I instantly fell in love with music, to say the least.
What's your favorite thing about being a teacher?
I love building relationships with my students and helping them reach their musical goals. Kids are amazing! But probably my favorite thing is helping my high school students perform outside of Sunburst events. Seeing them succeed on a professional level is extraordinarily gratifying.
Any advice for aspiring musicians out there?
If you do not know how to fail, you will not succeed. The road to success is through practice, performance, and perseverance. Someone will always be better than you, so it is how you utilize and combine your own personal gifts to reach that crystallized vision. The best advice ever given to me was from my late mentor Geri Allen:
“This music journey is long range.
Some downs but mostly ups.
Longevity is the true measure of success. Never give up."
Check out Chloe's band Hunnycomb!
