This year Coffee County Central High School is welcoming a new assistant band director, Alyssa Jones, to the staff.
Jones grew up in Warren County and was a member of the Warren County marching band. Since then, Jones has gotten a Bachelor’s Degree from Middle Tennessee State University and is now in her first year of teaching.
In an interview Jones discussed her music career, why she chose this path for her life, and how it had affected her.
Jones answered the following questions:
When did you start your band or music journey?
“I started my musical journey in the third grade when I started playing piano, I did piano until middle school. In middle school, I joined a band and started playing the flute, and I have played flute ever since.”
What made you want to join a band?
“My piano teacher was also my elementary music teacher, and when we were learning to play the recorder I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be so funny if I turned it sideways and tried to play it like a flute’ and my teacher came over and told me that I should join the band. That was really it.”
When did you decide that music was something you wanted to continue doing and teaching throughout the rest of your life?
“I think it was my junior year of high school. During junior year I had started doing things like Mid-State and other honors bands and I talked to my private lessons teacher and said, ‘I think this is what I want to do.” I always knew I wanted to teach, I just wasn’t sure what, but after meeting Dr, Little, the professor of flute at MTSU I decided that this was what I really wanted to do.”
What was the biggest music hurdle you have ever had to overcome?
“Probably my confidence, I think that is something I still work on. I am a very introverted person so in high school playing in front of others was incredibly challenging, so when I got to college it was much harder. My senior recital in college would be an exact moment because it was just 45 minutes of me playing by myself, so it was a big mental game of building my confidence and working through performance anxiety.”
Who has inspired you the most to continue your musical career?
“My flute and piano teacher, she introduced me to Mid-state and Dr. Little, she gave me many opportunities, she helped me prepare my college audition pieces, she threw little fun recitals for me when I was in middle school to show off my ability. She would play as well sometimes and I remember being in awe of how amazing she was. Even to this day she has gone and gotten her EDS and is working on getting her doctorate. She is always achieving more things and I am just like, “Wow I hope to be half of what she is one day.”
Why did you decide that Coffee County would be the best job fit for you?
“I would say there were multiple reasons. One reason was I wanted a band position, I was offered an elementary position, and I thought that was what I always wanted to do, but at some point in college, I had a turning point where I decided that I really wanted to do band. Another reason is, Coffee County is a small school, smaller than some of the other schools that I applied to, and I thought that coming from a small school I would understand the culture better. Also, I feel like I have more purpose here, I’m not sure what that purpose is necessarily yet, I think that is something I discovered while doing some interviews, I just feel like I can bring you guys somewhere, I have so many plans and ideas that I want to do and I feel like with this being a smaller school I can do that. I also know Mr. Frankenfield and appreciate everything he has already done for the school and I just really wanted to be a part of it, because ultimately I would rather be here and help this school grow than be at a bigger school that I can’t help grow. I want to help students enjoy music even if it’s not what they do with their future.”
