We all understand the current challenges in the workforce due to COVID-19. There are people working from home, others have been furloughed, while still others unfortunately have lost their job entirely and now are unemployed.
Graduating students at the Glenn Korff School of Music have also faced the challenge of looking for full-time work, including doing interviews for jobs during the pandemic. We take a look at some undergrads of ours looking for jobs in Music Education. Some of them landed their new role prior to the lockdowns, while others have had their interviews done over zoom.
Austin Oltman, Goodrich Middle School, Vocal Music
I did four interviews. Three were on zoom and one was on Microsoft Teams. It was weird to not have to go anywhere and meet people in person, but mostly it was weird because I couldn’t see the facilities or neighborhoods when I interviewed. I interviewed for Goodrich last Tuesday and they offered it to me on Wednesday and I accepted. I will be teaching 6-8 vocal music.
Ben Petrmichl, 6-12 Instrumental/Vocal Music Director position at Shelby-Rising City Schools
They had it in person March 19. The interview team was okay with having me in person which was a great opportunity because I was able to see some of the staff, the building, and the music classroom. The district was preparing for COVID-19 and they didn't have any students in the building. They offered it to me literally a week after the interview. I accepted it the day after.
Katelyn Hinderer, La Vista Middle School, Vocal Music
I interviewed in early January. I’m going to be the vocal music teacher at La Vista Middle School. I am also directing the Uptown Girls Show Choir at Millard West. I’m very excited. I accepted the teaching position on January 21. It was nice to be able to meet my future administrator in person and to see my future classroom. I also got a school-tour by students, which was fun. Because I was hired pretty early, I was able to go back to the school to meet with my administrator about plans for next year a few times, which I’m SUPER thankful for. Makes planning now a lot easier!
Casey Jo Allen, Elkhorn Middle School, Vocal Music
I’ll be at Elkhorn Middle School teaching 6-8 vocal music. I interviewed way back in February haha! I’m so glad I got to have a traditional interview experience. I was able to demonstrate what I’m capable of and was able to read the room as well. I also got to tell some classic Casey jokes and didn’t have to wait for the audio delay to hear people laughing.
Sasha Schneider Smoot, Elementary General Music Teacher at Omaha Benson West
Interviewing during the COVID pandemic had certainly been interesting. I had three building interviews over Zoom. One of the interviews, I met with just the principal and vice principal, the two after that, I was interviewed by at least six people via Zoom. Before these interviews, I would get ready in my interview attire, and find a quiet spot in my apartment with as plain of a background as I could find. Interviewing with other people in your home, who could be listening to you, makes it all the more nerve wracking. During the interview, there would occasionally be glitches, but luckily everyone is super understanding of that right now. Interviewing over Zoom is something that I hope I never have to do again. It's hard talking with a group of people not in person. I feel like I don't get a true picture of the building and people, and on the flip side, they don't get the whole picture of who I am as a teacher. I interviewed with them (OPS) pre-pandemic and they offered me an open contract which I declined. When the three Zoom interviews I had here in Lincoln were unsuccessful, I called OPS asking if they had any more jobs open, and they offered me this one!
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On a bit of a lighter note, Glenn Korff School of Music Associate Professor of Practice in Music Education Danni Gilbert and her family put together this video during quarantine. Here is the Glenn Korff School of Music Music Education 2020 Commencement Processional: https://youtu.be/aBEDpdaJbOU
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Here is a list of GKSOM GRADUATES (Aug. 2019, Dec. 2019, May 2020)
Graduating Seniors - Bachelor of Arts (Dance)
Bower, Kelli
Graduating Seniors - Bachelor of Arts (Music)
** Carroll, Liam
* Dykes, Skyler
Hadley, Benjamin
** Nutter, Brock
Rice, Brianna
Graduating Seniors – Bachelor of Music
Barber, Andrew
** Carter, Matthew
** Conroy, Mackenzie
Creal, Cooper
** Gillespie, Alison
* Goulet, Christopher
** Holm, Claudia
Kim, Hyunseok
Larson, Vincent
Mitchell, Isaac
** Shvartcer, Eva
Taylor, Travis (Dec)
Young, Hunter (Aug)
White, William
Graduating Seniors – Bachelor of Music Education
Allen, Casey
* Arevalo, Asael
** Benesch, Krista
Beyer, Jaeden
Boes, Claire
Caberos, Nicolas
** Eisenbeis, Justin
Fang, Bosi
Gorski, Kristen
** Hinderer, Katelyn
* Iverson, Daniel
Jaapar, Aaron
Joseph, Ashley (Dec)
Knowles, Patrick
** Lee, Jenna
** Loutsch, Dominic
Mathew, Dakota
Moore, Samuel
Oltman, Austin
Petrmichl, Benjamin
Schneider, Sashenka
* Wood, Colin
Hixson-Lied College Recognition: *Distinction, **High Distinction, ***Highest Distinction
Graduating --Masters of Music (MM)
Buechner, Zachary
Ensign, Christina
Fehr, Lori (Aug)
Finnegan, Denise
Grosbach, Bryan
Howell, Eric
Ikpeama, Daniel
Johnson, Christian (Aug)
Martin, Ryan
Mohling, Justin
Movesian, Allison
Oshiro, Daniel
Pfanstiel, Shawn (Aug)
Raymond-Kolker, Louis
Rutherford, Ian
Trucke, Brandy
Viets, Connor
Weddel, Amanda (Aug)
Zajimovic, Leon
Graduating --Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)
Cowley, Season
Gomez, Ruben
Granville, Kyle
Heerspink, Lee
Hiscock, Jared
Jarosz, Klaudia
Kondo, Ayaka
Li, Runkun
Madden, Kevin
Mersch, Katie
Montanari, Shiana
Zhang, Yin
Zhou, Kao