When I first met Mrs. Perkins, I had no idea how tremendously she would impact my life. I have been privileged to have her as my band director for three wonderful years. Each day I cannot wait to enter her classroom and play my clarinet. Mrs. Perkins has always encouraged me to pursue music and practice diligently. She sincerely cares for each of her students, and Mrs. Perkins listens to any concerns they might have. She has always done more than required. Mrs. Perkins is also ahead of stage crew, a helper with the school’s musical, and she assists in many assemblies at our school. Ultimately, Mrs. Perkins is an excellent, considerate, and hardworking educator.

Mrs. Perkins is a phenomenal band director who introduces her students to the beauty of music. She has the ability to take beginner, intermediate, and experienced musicians and turn them into a successful band. Mrs. Perkins has shown us that music is so much more than notes on a page. As I approach a song, I immediately notice the tone of the piece. Each note means so much. The greatest feeling is that felt after you have placed your whole heart into a piece of music. I would not know these things if it were not for Mrs. Perkins. She helped me to understand how imperative it is to pay attention to dynamics, articulations, and tuning. Even the most difficult piece can be made easy with the help of Mrs. Perkins.

Band has always been a way for me to escape my daily worries. It may be the worst day ever, but the moment Mrs. Perkins begins teaching I immediately feel better. She makes each student feel important. When we do well, she often tells us that we deserve gold stars. Mrs. Perkins cares so much about our band, and she believes in each of her pupils. I try to practice each day, and her encouragement motivates me. When working though a hard piece, I tell myself, “Mrs. Perkins believes that you can play this song, and you can do this.” If it were not for Mrs. Perkins, I would not have progressed as much as I have now.

Mrs. Perkins has always been the teacher that goes above and beyond. She is consistently at school early and stays late. At 7:15 AM on Monday through Thursday she teaches jazz band. Mrs. Perkins takes each of her responsibilities seriously, and she has an amazing attendance record. She always hates it when she cannot come to school, and Mrs. Perkins often ensures that we are left with a nice, musically talented substitute. Additionally, Mrs. Perkins recently worked with the school musical. That required staying past 5:00 PM each night for rehearsals, and coming at 5:30 PM on performance days. During the play she had to do lighting, music, and sound effects. Mrs. Perkins also is ahead of stage crew, and she must help run many of our school’s assemblies. This means she often assists with slideshows and any other objects that are used in a presentation. Many tasks would not be completed if Mrs. Perkins did not kindly volunteer to pitch in.

In conclusion, Mrs. Perkins has done so much for me. She deserves billions upon billions of gold stars. I cannot help but feel nostalgic as I look back at the past three years in Mrs. Perkins’ band. She has inspired me to work hard and to be the best that I can. Next year I know I will miss the comforting feeling I receive when I walk into her classroom. It was an absolute honor to learn and work with Mrs. Perkins. No words can express how grateful I am for all of her hard work and effort. A good teacher is one that helps students to understand difficult concepts, but Mrs. Perkins is a great educator that not only motivates teenagers, but sincerely cares for and helps each of her students. Because of her, I am now able to thoroughly enjoy and understand music. Never again will a piece be simple, boring notes on a page. I now feel that each song is like a present, waiting to be opened and explored. I love the clarinet with all my heart, and I credit Mrs. Perkins for helping me realize the joy in music.