From Opera to Mariachi

PRESCOTT – In September, long time music teacher Rebecca Wilson moved from the band room to the classroom and began teaching fourth grade at Prescott Elementary School. Jeremy Irland was hired as her replacement and is very much enjoying his gig as the district's new K-12 music teacher.

Irland's down-to-earth attitude and contagious enthusiasm belie his impressive resume. The Canadian-born opera singer lived in California and Seattle before moving to our area in junior high, but says he considers Walla Walla his home.

Irland earned his undergraduate degree in music education at Walla Walla College. He attended the University of Washington and then the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Mass. for his masters in music and vocal performance.

After earning his education degree, Irland spent seven years teaching high school band and choir at Walla Walla Valley Academy. During that time, he also taught introductory music courses and had a voice studio at Walla Walla College.

He decided to focus on becoming a full-time vocalist and moved to Boston where he spent a year teaching music at a parochial school. He was then accepted into the highly selective New England Conservatory (which has a 28% acceptance rate) where he pursued his dream of singing opera and classical repertoire with symphonies.

"When I went to New England I was there to work with some pretty big names and sing in some pretty big places. My main voice teacher was Grammy Award winner Jane Eaglen. I was ecstatic to get in and to have these opportunities to perform in bigger places like New York and Boston," Irland said.

Unfortunately, plans changed when Irland nearly lost a leg after he tripped while running to catch a train in the spring of 2015. He was forced to return to his parent's home in College Place for the four to five month recovery period.

As he spent time recuperating, Irland did some soul searching decided to go back to teaching.

"When you're a freelancer you've got to sell yourself every day. There is always another job to look for. There is a value in a steady income," Irland said.

"And I still perform locally and regionally. I did my first Carmen, with the Walla Walla Symphony, in a wheelchair, just a month after I broke my leg," he added.

Irland said he was drawn to teaching because of the impact music teachers had on his life.

"They changed the trajectory of my life. I didn't sing a note in high school and now I'm a singer. I played handbells. That was the only music I did, but I really liked my music teacher and he kept me coming back," Irland said.

Irland said he submitted many teaching applications but heard nothing back. Until he got six job offers all in one day!

Irland said he chose Prescott because when he walked in the front door, it was clear how much the students liked each other and were kind to each other.

"I saw older students helping younger students and there was a kindness in that, that makes me want to work here," he said.

The feeling he got from the faculty and way he interacted with the students during a summer school lesson he gave as part of the interview was the clincher.

Prescott Superintendent Brett Cox said he first saw Irland perform at a Walla Walla Symphony Kids' Concert, a year before he applied at Prescott, and recalls being impressed with his enthusiasm and the way he interacted with the students.

"When he walked in for the interview and I realized who he was, he already had the job," Cox said, jokingly.

Irland teaches classroom music to K-5 students. The youngest students are doing a rhythm unit, third and fourth graders are working on note reading, and fourth and fifth graders are being introduced to instruments. Irland says he also tries to bring in an art project once every couple of weeks.

Irland also teaches the sixth grade and high school bands. The high school band functioned as a pep band the first semester and is working on band-building concert-style music this semester. Irland said the students will participate in mass band next year.

"I think it's really important that kids should feel comfortable with this great history of western music that we have. I teach in rural Prescott where many kids don't have a chance to go to the symphony, but I've been able to change that by having them go to the Kids' Concert for the first time," he said.

Irland will be singing the baritone solo in the Walla Walla Symphony's performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony: "Ode to Joy" in May, and says as many students who want to attend will be able to.

Irland said his experience in Prescott has been "amazing," and he's seen a lot of growth in his students.

His plans for the future include building the pep band into something that other teams will remember when they visit. Down the road – if he can overcome challenges of fundraising, finding the time to teach, and procuring instruments – Irland said he would love to start a mariachi group to play at community events.

"The kids are hard workers. I think it would be a great opportunity for them to express who they are. The idea is to start small and give them opportunities to perform in service," Irland said.

"I love teaching, and one of the things that turned me off as a full-time performer is that everyone is out for themselves. I was raised to believe that what you do, you do for service to other people. Mariachi has to do with giving kids those experiences," he added.