*Teacher: Elementary School Music*
By: Valery Warner, Tyler Elzholz, and Kelsey Bruzek
October 20, 2020
Brooklyn Elementary’s own Bryan Keller has been chosen as the center of attention for this week’s staff spotlight.
We asked Mr. Keller several questions to get to know him on a personal level.
Q.) Where did you go to college, and why did you decide to go there?
A.) “I attended Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. I really liked the layout of the campus and the small, close-knit music department.”
Q.) Was teaching music your first career choice?
A.) “Yes and no. I originally wanted to be a private drum teacher and a gigging musician after college. However, after earning my Bachelors in Music Education, I decided to give teaching in a public school a try for a while. Twenty-five years later, here I am.”
Q.) Where did you grow up, and where were you born?
A.) “I was born and raised in York, Pennsylvania (just south of Harrisburg). My parents still live in the house I grew up in.”
Q.) What was your biggest setback during your teaching career?
A.) “Not sure it was a “setback,” but I actually almost quit teaching after my third year. I was working in South Carolina, and I wasn’t enjoying myself at all. I was about to accept a job at State Farm when I got offered the position here in Brooklyn.”
Q.) What activities did you participate in during high school?
A.) “In high school, I participated in all band activities (marching band, concert band, jazz band, and pep band). I also played the drum set for our school musicals and was in the orchestra for three years.”
Q.) What hobbies are you interested in when you are not teaching?
A.) “Outside of school, my main priority is spending time with my family. As far as hobbies, I am the drummer and band leader of Funkology, an 11-piece band that plays events around the Cleveland area. I also love to golf, and I’m a huge Miami Dolphins fan.”
[Editor’s note: We like dolphins, too…just not the NFL Dolphins. Go Browns!]
Q.) What inspired you to get into music?
A.) “What inspired me to get into music? I remember being four or five-years-old and banging on my cousin’s drum set every time my family visited my aunt. I have never wanted to do anything else with my life. I love to teach music, but I also love to perform in front of people.”
It was great catching up with Mr. Keller, who was our music teacher back in elementary school. We wish him well in the rest of his teaching career, and we request to see him perform in Funkology.
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 