Kallie Riker

Autobiography
Instrumental and General Music Education (B-12)
I have wanted to teach practically since I was born. My grandmother was a prolific art
teacher, and I had an extremely close bond with her. She would paint with me, encourage me,
and be one of my greatest supporters in every aspect. I reflected upon her role as a teacher, and it
influenced me to want to emulate her. I would set up my school supplies and try to have my cats
sit down for a classroom lesson in my living room.
However, I did not know right away what subject I wanted to teach. I loved English and
history, but I did not want to teach something that children were forced to take if they lacked real
interest in. I wanted to teach a subject that had a lifelong impact on my students, outside of tests,
passing the class and never thinking about the material outside of school.
I still maintained a passion to teach even after moving in the fifth grade. The move was
very tough for me to adjust to, going from a large school in a metropolis city to a rural small
town. My teacher that year, Mrs. Tompkins, showed special interest in me and helped me
immensely through the transition. She cared outside of just understanding her class material, and
offered advice and an outlet to express my feelings. She always asked how I was doing, made me
smile if I was having a rough day, and still keeps in touch with me in the present. I loved how
kind and gentle she was, and I use those traits in everything I do and every relationship I make.
I had always been attached to music, but only started playing in middle school. After a
year of struggling on clarinet and nearly quitting, I dedicated myself to improving and learning
music and set a goal of pursuing a career in music. I excelled into first chair and honors band for
three years of high school. I practiced, persevered, and worked extremely hard to become
principal chair and section leader as well. Coming from a small music program, I knew I had to

find opportunities outside of school to become a better and more well-rounded musician. I was
proactive in seeking out different ensembles and attended music camps in the summer from
sophomore year onward. I found UW-Platteville and was a three year camper at their summer
band camp. I met my current music professors, who were faculty there, and still look to them as
my greatest role models in music. They are fair, kind, beyond educated in music, and choose to
love teaching every day. I respect them and use their guidance in my life every day, as a musician
and future educator. Band directors are supposed to be a major support group in high school, but
I definitely did not have the best luck with great directors. They turned out to be an inverted role
model; I want to provide students with the kind of teacher I lacked in high school. I will avoid
the favoritism they expressed, and show a love of education that they did not seem to have. One
of my teachers did not have a degree in education. He taught because he had to make a living,
not because he loved teaching. He was not educated in music and had not shown any want to be.
I knew that I needed to reach out and educate myself in every possible way in music, but in also
the art of education and love for teaching.
As a very organized and prepared person, I knew that if I pursued music in college, I had
to learn all of the concert instruments. I switched to saxophone after playing clarinet for four
years. I played in our pit orchestra, concert band, and everything else I could, on any instrument
that was needed. I taught lessons to middle school students and provided a family in our band
that our director could not. I was fortunate enough to receive the first music scholarship ever
awarded at my high school.
I picked up flute and took the initiative to teach it to myself. I auditioned for the
Chippewa Valley Youth Orchestra and was in it for two years. I drove forty-five minutes every
Tuesday, on a school night, in order to make night rehearsals each week. I arranged private

lessons by myself and attended them before rehearsal as well. I also spent every Monday and
Tuesday in the summer driving the opposite direction to another towns community band. I was
privileged to play alongside professional musicians and later led by example as new students
came in. I am driven and willing to pursue any opportunity independently. I understand my
responsibilities as a future educator of the arts. I learn everything I can, from my past teachers
and professors to major elements of my profession. I am kind, gentle, dedicated, ambitious, and
responsible. Every rehearsal, concert, and practice session I completed in high school has led me
to my major. Every ounce of work I have put into music has been paying off, knowing that I can
teach and be a musician every day.