Angela Slaughter always knew she wanted to teach music. “My mom was an elementary school music teacher for 35 years,” Slaughter says. “I grew up in a household that was very musical and I just always loved it.”
After being a choir director at Greeley West High School for three years, she decided to take a step back in order to focus more on her three young children. She currently teaches at Galeton Elementary School. She’s a firm believer in the power of music to enrich the minds of young people.
“Even just listening to music engages the brain,” Slaughter says. “Playing an instrument or singing affects visual, auditory and motor areas in the brain all at the same time.” She also believes music can have a positive impact on people’s mental health. “They say that practicing and listening to music can reduce cortisol in the brain. It floods the brain with dopamine,” she says. “I think we all attest to that as people. Almost every person that you ask, they’ve made some kind of connection with music.”
Slaughter believes music can teach young people bodily awareness, or proprioception. “In my music classroom, we breathe and we stretch and we think about how our bodies are moving,” Slaughter says. She feels access to music programs in school can make children more engaged in their education as a whole. “It gives a lot of kids excitement for going to school,” she says. “It’s a bright spot in their day.” She thinks these effects showcase just how valuable music education is. “Music is just the full package deal with how it enriches everybody’s experiences with life,” she says.
“Access to band, choir and orchestra is not provided consistently at the middle school level in every District 6 school,” Slaughter says. “I hope that we find a way to promote strong 6th, 7th and 8th grade programs across the board.”
Angela Slaughter
Tips for Introducing Your Kids to Music
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“Sing with your kids, no matter what you feel about how you sound, and have them sing back. That mimicking is such a huge piece of developing that inner ear.”
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“Turning on the music and dancing with your kids is so good for their body and for that feel of tempo.”
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“Our libraries provide story time with singing and moving—I think that’s a sweet place to start for kids. There are so many opportunities to go to concerts—whether that’s the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, Greeley Chorale or Greeley Children’s Chorale.”
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“Be aware of what’s happening in their music programs and what those elementary school music teachers are providing. They’re doing ukulele clubs and recorder clubs and having different opportunities for their students to get more involved.”