Meet Shelley Durbin, a middle school and high school conductor with 33 years of experience. She is a new addition to the music department staff at Amador Valley High School, becoming the new director of Choir and Orchestra. With her choir, musical theater, and orchestras, she has won Outstanding Choral Educator for the Bay Area in 2021, and Teacher of the Year at Kennedy Middle School. Here she shares her experience as an award winning conductor who has traveled the East Coast with her choirs.
What first ignited your passion for music?
I come from a family that was always deeply involved in music. Although my dad was not a professional musician, he was very musically talented, had a beautiful voice, and played the saxophone in his leisure time. My mom was an All-State clarinetist in Texas and a piano major in college. I was always around music from a young age, from hearing beautiful singing when my parents took me to church, to hearing my mom teach piano lessons, or listening to my dad play his saxophone along with recordings of the "Big Band Greats."
Who are some of your musical inspirations?
The answers to this question could go in many directions. My two main mentors are Tom Bennett and Eddie Green, two legendary Texas band directors with whom I was incredibly lucky to interact, not just in school but well into my professional years. Singing in the Santa Clara Chorale under Dr. Ryan Brandau was very formative for me as a choral instructor. I do not think I can narrow down the people I look up to when it comes to orchestral conducting. I can tell you that my favorite composers are Peter Tchaikovsky, Paul Hindemith, and Aaron Copeland. I think Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas are incredibly talented!
When did you realize you wanted a career as an educator?
I did not realize I wanted to be an educator until I veered away from music for a while. While I was still a music performance major, I had an inkling that life lived in the practice room might not be the best match for me. I spent a while under general studies, exploring what different majors might have to offer. It wasn't until I decided to teach another of my big loves, English Language Arts, that I realized teaching was a very good fit for me.
What is the education process like to get certified as a high school music conductor?
The certification process varies from state-to-state and institution-to-institution, but generally you have to take a college load that is heavy on music theory, music history, applied lessons, music pedagogy, and ensemble performance, along with your general studies. In California, many aspiring music teachers can expect to go into a fifth year for student teaching. It helps to get as much experience with different kinds of ensembles as you can while you are young. For example, if you plan to teach a high school marching band, it is a great idea to march with a drum corps. If you are interested in teaching strings, then increasing your exposure to as many string ensembles as possible is very smart. Consistently taking private lessons throughout your career as a musician is fundamental.
"The certification process varies from state-to-state and institution-to-institution, but generally you have to take a college load that is heavy on music theory, music history, applied lessons, music pedagogy, and ensemble performance, along with your general studies"
Did you have a favorite class during your music credentialing?
My favorite music classes were always the ensembles I was involved in. Although I have excelled at "book work," I always prefer experiences that get me out of a desk and doing something active.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is interacting with students and helping them shape their passion for music into results that please them. Although I initially planned to become a symphony flute player, I realized I wanted to interact with people in a different way, especially because I am largely an extrovert and I really value the great teaching I received.
What is your teaching philosophy?
Although I want class to be "fun," I also believe fun with music comes from achieving excellence with other members of the ensemble. I want the students in my ensembles to be just as knowledgeable about our goals as I am, and I want them to have a voice in creating our product. Having "voice" in the creation of music does not necessarily directly translate into democracy in the classroom, however. It means being able to form educated opinions regarding what we are playing, what we should improve, and the processes we should employ to achieve our goals. As many teachers have said, I also believe the job of a teacher is to become obsolete through developing the strength of knowledge in my students.
"I want the students in my ensembles to be just as knowledgeable about our goals as I am, and I want them to have a voice in creating our product."
What is your advice to a young musician interested in a career in music?
I would advise young musicians that the field of music is broad, and there is well more than one way to make a life with music. Also, even if you become a high-level performer, you will still find yourself in teaching situations, so pay attention to the techniques that help you learn; you will probably be passing them on some day. Have a back-up plan. There are many musicians that become disenchanted with life as a professional because they realize they are struggling more than they would like financially. Most musicians have to create their own opportunities these days and be flexible about how the music world looks in their specific cases.