Adam Schlipmann – Instructor of Music
Q: How’d you end up in music education?
A: Music is where I fit in the most. It’s where I found my people and success in what I wanted to do. At 17-18, I decided to be a music teacher. I went to U-of-I for that, then into teaching after graduating.
Q; What external factors have you experienced in learning music?
A: My experience in music is mostly external. There’s music done in school, and music made outside of that. You figure out who you are as a musician, not who you’re told to be.
Q: What mindsets helped/hindered you in being successful for this role?
A: Being flexible. Being able to do many things well. I started as a band director. It’s challenging work. It’s also fun and rewarding.
Q: How’d you bring in other interests?
A: A school I taught at said, “do whatever you want.” I made electronic music classes when it was newer in schools. It’s more interesting doing things I’m interested in. With solid musical ideas, schools catch up, and you find success that way.
Q: Do you think there’re any barriers making music education inaccessible?
A: MusicEd is still based in traditional models. My program was limited in terms of, ‘here’s what you’re going to do,’ preparing me to be a teacher. I thought I wanted to be the world’s greatest band director. Now on the other side of my career, I kind of moved to a different path.
Q: How do you handle bad days where you still have to teach?
A: I focus on the material I enjoy. This professor I had said, “Whatever’s going on in life. As a professional, leave that at the door.” It seems flawed, but there’s something to say about teaching as acting gigs. When things aren’t ideal, there’re still people looking to you.
Q: Is there anyone you look towards to help you feel better?
A: Honestly, I rely on students more than they know—like a symbiotic relationship. It does wonders to help to refocus things.
Q: What advice would you give to those starting their music journey?
A: Being useful. Showing you can do things well. There are many different tasks in making music… be as useful as you can in as many of those tasks as you can. You have to be good at many things. You need to be a mile wide and ten feet (deep).
Q: Is there anything you want to add?
A: I don’t think about career paths often, because you’re in it. You do it, figure it out. Wherever the path is behind, it’s back there again.
