My Name:
Mr. Whalen
Schools:
Brookside and Crompond Elementary
Awesome Class Taught:
5th Grade Band
It is nearly impossible to get me on the phone, but if you feel up to the challenge, try these numbers:
(914) 243-8130 for Brookside and (914) 243-8140 for Crompond
After leaving John Jay High School in Cross River (John Jay rules!) around
the turn of the century, I moved west in search of gold. One day, while
panning, I found a saxophone in a chest labeled "NOT FOR HUMAN
CONSUMPTION". It was my "eureka!" moment, and the rest is history.
Actually, the truth is somewhat less glamorous... I received dual
undergraduate degrees in performance and music education from Berklee College
of Music in Boston. My masters degree is in performance with a
concentration in jazz, and it is from the conservatory at Purchase College.
I had a lot of great teachers along the way, and I aspire to give the same
kind of musical journey to my kids as I was lucky enough to have been given.
Our Mission...
"Shock and Awe"
musically, of course.
So to do that you need to practice and do all the stuff we talk about in
class. Practicing isn't always fun, but either is anything in life worth
doing. You won't feel the sense of reward and accomplishment if you don't
put in some time and effort. Please don't skip that part, as you ponder the
new secret word which is not right here. I'm not saying you can't, but you'll
sound bad, and I'm not saying
"bad" in a good way. If you want to sound "bad" in a good way, work for it.
