Heidi Wischler
Heidi‘s Motto is “Always be open to learning, always be hungry for knowledge, and remain teachable and your mind will expand beyond what you have planned”!
Heidi attended California State University, Chico where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. During her last year of study, she decided to take a few extra credit courses in Physical Education,her other love. She decided that since athletics and music have been such a huge part of her experience and joy in life, that she would take enough courses to earn a Coaching Certificate,which adds more diversity and skills to her teaching abilities. Heidi maintained an honorable grade point average through most of her College Career and earned her way on the The Dean’s List for several semesters,indicative of her hard work,focus and dedication to excellence.
Heidi invested many hours as a volunteer teacher’s assistant in College at a local Junior High and High School,both of which she had attended. She also managed to travel to her colleagues schools to offer group instruction on brass (Sacramento and Bay Area,Ca). As a part of the well-rounded education that Heidi received at CSU, Chico, she was a full time Student,employed part time,created and performed in a touring Funk&Soul Band,all while being an active member and officer of M.E.N.C. (Music Educators National Conference) and C.B.D.A. (California Band Directors Association). She attended many conferences,master classes and lectures from music teachers/educators,musicians,composers&
arrangers,instrumental sales companies,publishing companies, and more, to gain all of the necessary and important knowledge she could in the field in which she is so passionate about!
Since College, Heidi has volunteer taught in California as well as Washington, where she currently,happily resides. She has been teaching group and individual instrumental music Lessons for over 15 years. She has been employed as a Para-Professional (assistant to the teacher) in Edmonds,Wa School District,co-teaching beginning guitar and worked at The Overlake School (a Private College Prep 5th-12th grade school) in Redmond,Wa teaching group and individual classes on Clarinet,Flute,Trumpet,Trombone,Baritone/
Euphonium,BassGuitar,SnareDrum/Percussion.
Heidi has been employed by Kinnelly Keys (Shoreline,Wa) retail music store and was able to learn about a different side of the music industry,gaining more knowledge and skills. She had intended to be hired as a private music Lesson instructor,but the instructor’s that where currently teaching,had to pass away for someone else to get a chance at the job. At least that was what she was told! So,this was a helpful motivator to start her own business teaching music.
Heidi also taught music lessons at 4/4 School of Music (Seattle,Wa) Clarinet,Alto Sax,French Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, and Drum Set/Snare Drum. She not only teaches 10 different instruments, she can play them all proficiently and offers Students a well rounded, comprehensive music education, along with offering all of the important instrumental techniques about how to play well and how to play with musicianship.
Heidi works with Students of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. She helps Students who have physical,mental challenges or learning disabilities to be able to enjoy and excel in music, no matter what challenges one may have. “There is more to a music lesson than simply playing notes on an instrument”,she says. “I encourage my Students to learn,to explore the language of music,the theory that is the foundation of music and to build a firm,stable core foundation to grow from”,she says.
Heidi also composes and arranges music. If you want to learn how to write a song with a verse and chorus, or compose an orchestral or symphonic wind ensemble piece, or arrange instrumental parts for a Rock,Funk or Blues Band, Heidi can show you how! She has composed and arranged horn parts for many Bands. For one writing project, Heidi was asked to meet with the leader/creator of a Blues/Rock Band and write horn parts to accompany his songs. The process was challenging to say the least,but she accomplished it quite well in fact. She sat with the leader, while he played “licks” on his guitar and sang phrases that he wanted the horns to play in certain places of his songs. “I would prepare by listening to his cd of songs and taking as many notes as I could about the tempo,key,style and feel of the song,form,etc. and then write down by hand what he has relaying to me through his guitar and voice. I had my trumpet next to me,so that I could play back what he played/sang to me so that I could para-phrase his communication with me to ensure I was understanding him accurately”,she said. After hand writing the parts, she then took them to her computer and entered the parts into a music composition program,Finale and then began creating the harmonization for the other 2 horns. They were able to collaborate on the 5 songs andHeidi created 3 horn parts for 5 songs, to be performed at the Mt. Baker Blues Festival in August of 2014. It was a success and they were invited back next year, which no Band plays this Festival 2 years in a row! This is one of many writing projects that Heidi has completed. She also has assisted Bands in writing guitar,bass and drum parts for their original songs!
Heidi has continued to educate herself and challenge herself by taking private music lessons on clarinet, alto sax, flute, drum set/snare, piano, trumpet,trombone and voice. Heidi‘s Motto is “Always be open to learning,always be hungry for knowledge,and remain teachable and your mind will expand beyond what you have planned”! Heidi has attended clinics with such musicians as “Tower of Power” horn section, and has had the honor of playing with 3 of the horn players from “Buena Vista Social Club”. She has had many opportunities to substitute perform live on trombone and trumpet with Bands that she has never played with and never heard their music,but she was hired to play and therefore sight read the Gig and impressed even herself! She has had the privilege of subbing with such amazing musical organizations as “The Seattle Rock Orchestra” a local string orchestra that plays cover music from artists such as “Beatles,Led Zeppelin,Prince,Pink Floyd” and more, “Kobo Town” Trinidadian Calypso Band, “La Banda Gonzona” a Oaxacan Banda style Band, “Sunga Rose” 19teens-30’s Jazz/Blues style Quartet, The “SANCA-pators” a local Circus music Band, and many other various Bands of all styles and colors!