Dr. Charlotte Hester never dreamed she would be a classroom teacher as she was going through college and earning her bachelor’s degree in piano performance. However, God had other plans, she said.
“When my oldest child started first grade, his school needed a music teacher, and I found that I loved teaching. When my kids went to college, so did ‘Mom,’ and I earned my master’s and doctoral degrees,” Hester said.
Now as an associate professor and director of Music Education in the Alabama School of the Arts at the University of Mobile, Hester prepares the next generation of music teachers. We asked her about the Music Education program at the University of Mobile.
Q: Why should someone choose to study Music Education?
A: Because teaching music is the BEST JOB in the WORLD!
Q: Your dissertation was about music teacher preparation. What drew your interest to that area of study?
A: During my first years of teaching, I always felt that I needed to return my salary because I was learning as I taught. Since then, I have met many new music teachers who have had the same thoughts and feelings. So when researching for my dissertation, the question was “How do I best prepare a new teacher for the classroom? What are the best practices?”
Q: What do you like most about UM?
A: It’s family, education, and preparation for life, all rolled into one package. The faculty are not only outstanding professors, but they are people committed to supporting and training the next generation of musicians, teachers and followers of Christ.
Q: UM offers “Higher Education for a Higher Purpose.” What does that mean to you?
A: It means that our goal as an institution and my purpose in the classroom is not just to disseminate musical information, but also to prepare students to make a Christ-like impact within their chosen field. For me, the target is eternity.
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