Lauren Voight has been a Music teacher for 36 years, all at Warren Hills. She was inspired by her father to pursue a career in teaching, as he was a coach and was always amazing with children. 

Growing up, Voight enjoyed going to school just as much as she enjoyed music.

 “I always loved leading people in song, and I love really exceptional choral music,” she said.

Originally, Voight was hired as a substitute teacher, but that position quickly expanded into her being a full-time teacher. 

“It goes to show you never know where a lifelong opportunity will come from,” she said.

When asked about her favorite part of teaching, Voight said she finds the whole school environment inspiring.

“I always thought working in a school is probably the best place in the world to be because it’s like a think tank where you have access to so many specialists in one building,” she said, “and you also get to start over every September and improve on your job every year.” 

Voight said that she finds  the most difficult part of her job is balancing all of the work that needs to get done. Being a music teacher means doing a lot more than a typical academic teacher. 

“Music teachers not only teach classes,” she said,  “we produce concerts, run multiple extracurricular activities, manage, set up, and break down sound equipment, take care of a multitude of music instruments, sustain music libraries and budgets, manage performance spaces and wardrobes for performances.” 

For those who have an interest in following a similar career path, Voight’s advice is   to make sure you like the age group you are teaching and to have an infinite amount of patience. 

“Practice being kind  and remaining calm under pressure,” she said.  “It is not the kind of industry where losing it will get you more results.”