This year, the music department is welcoming Ms. Flynn, the new orchestra teacher, to our school. She has been working as a teacher for eight years, and is currently studying at Queens College for her master’s degree. I conducted an interview with Ms. Flynn in order to learn more about who she is as a person. Here is what I learned about the newest member of the Mepham team.
Ms. Flynn was born and raised on Long Island. She got her bachelor’s degree at SUNY Fredonia in music education. She has taught all over the world, including places in Australia, California, and New York. She also conducted an orchestra for El Sistema, which is a music program in California for kids who do not have music in their school. She has worked with many interesting people in the music world, including the New York Philharmonic. She has led a very interesting life before teaching here, and she’s still going strong. Outside of school, Ms. Flynn runs an orchestra for D’Addario, a family owned string company. Ms. Flynn also enjoys Japanese stationery and calligraphy. And of course, she enjoys playing her instrument at home. Ms. Flynn says she has a passion for teaching students: “I just get a lot of joy seeing students get really excited over the material that’s being presented… I’m so happy to see some kind of spark happening.”
Ms. Flynn’s favorite memory from high school is going to All-State for violin during her senior year. This is a prestigious program which only selects a few hundred players to participate every year. At the time when Ms. Flynn went to All-State, she wasn’t really sure if she wanted to have a career in music. The experience of All-State made her realize that music was her life, and she wanted music to be part of her profession. Ms. Flynn advises students that “Whatever opportunities come your way, don’t question them, see if you can do them, and they might change you for the better.”
Ms. Flynn’s favorite thing about Mepham is the culture and the friendly community. She says, “I love the culture, I love how friendly the students are, I love how everyone says hello in the hallways, I love how everyone helps everyone out.” Ms. Flynn also likes the character of the building. She claims it has a Harry Potter like feeling. She says, “There is a wealth of knowledge here that you feel like you are tapping into anyday, everyday.”
I know it sounds cliché, but Ms. Flynn truly believes “…that anything is possible if you put you mind to it.” She wants her students to learn that just because you can’t figure something out the first time doesn’t mean you can’t figure it out. Ms. Flynn is excited to join the Mepham family.