The Magic of Music: Finding Community and Connection, One Chord at a Time

Community and connection: these two things have always been a core part of life at Peck Whether in the past, when I was here as a Peck student, or today, as I serve as a Peck Fourth Grade Associate Teacher, these two things have remained part of the reason why Peck is such a special place to be. At a recent professional development session led by other Peck teachers,I felt an even stronger connection between faculty and students through the magic of music. 

My colleague Lisa [Peck’s Lower School Music Teacher] led a mini session to teach us how to play the ukulele—an instrument that my very own fourth graders are learning this year! As I sat in the Lower School Science Room with the ukulele in my lap, having not played an instrument in years, I remember exchanging worried looks with a fellow ukulele-newbie sitting next to me. Our worries were soon forgotten when, within minutes, Lisa had us confidently strumming away in surprising harmony. Smiles filled the room, time seeming to pause in a magical moment of shared rhythm, learning, and connection, the same way she does with today’s fourth grade students. 

As we played familiar tunes like Imagine Dragons’ “Thunder,” I found myself thinking back to a few weeks prior, when I listened to my fourth graders playing that very same song at a Lower School assembly. Suddenly, I had a whole new appreciation for the incredible effort and collaboration that my students have poured into learning these songs on the ukulele. 

We only practiced for a brief twenty minutes, but in that time we learned two different chords and played several tunes. Most importantly, the experience gave me a renewed sense of community and connection with not only my colleagues, but also with my students and what they have been learning in their music classroom. I’m sure I’m not the only one who left the room with a huge smile, relaxed, recharged—and with the sudden urge to purchase a ukulele!

Avery Hohman is a graduate of the class of 2015. She currently serves as fourth-grade associate teacher.