After
private lessons and playing in her school band for seven years, Jena
Hudson put away her flute and stopped participating in musical groups.
“I
originally thought that I wanted to be a nurse when I entered college,”
Hudson said. “Instead, I decided to become a CNA and work in the
hospital.”
Luckily, for hundreds of Scott County School District 2
elementary students, Hudson felt like something was missing, and this
career she chose was not what she wanted for her life.
“I quickly
realized that the medical field was not for me in any way, shape or
form,” Hudson said. “After a year of taking classes towards this career,
I realized a huge chunk of me was missing — and that was music.”
Hudson
dropped her nursing classes after a year of coursework and switched her
major to music education. She auditioned for the school of music at the
University of Louisville and joined the marching band.
“As I look back on my decisions, I am so glad I took the right path,” Hudson said.
Looking
back, Hudson began playing and performing music when she joined the
Scottsburg Middle School band in sixth grade. She chose her instrument
based on something her dad said.
“Well, to be honest, my dad said I
had to pick an instrument that I could carry the case for,” Hudson said
with a laugh. “I was very petite middle schooler, so many of the
instruments were just too big for me!”
After she looked at the two of the smallest instruments available to her — the flute and the clarinet — Hudson made her choice.
“Once
I had the opportunity to try them out, I instantly made a connection
with the flute,” Hudson said. “It seemed as if I was a natural.”
However,
it was not until she started taking private lessons from flutist Sue
Righthouse that she became interested in music education.
“My
private flute teacher, Sue Righthouse, aspired me to become a teacher.
She always pushed me and challenged me to complete musical tasks that I
thought were far beyond my reach,” Hudson said. “However, with her
assurance and guidance, I was always able to succeed. She never judged
and only encouraged. She led me down the path in choosing the career to
become a music teacher.”
Now, after more than a decade after
taking her first lesson from Righthouse, Hudson uses the passion and the
nurturing nature she learned from her music teachers to inspire her
students at the four elementary schools at SCSD2.
“I wanted to
become a teacher to share the beauty of music and childhood play with
children,” Hudson said. “In this day and age, many children do not get
the experience of music to creatively express oneself through movement,
song, dance, games and improvisation. I feel that these are major life
experiences that every child should have, and to just be a kid.”
In
her classroom, Hudson works with more than 1,000 students at
Scottsburg, Lexington, Johnson, and Vienna-Finley elementary schools and
uses music to help students express their feelings and emotions.
“In
my classroom, I encourage students to self-express their feelings and
emotions through musical and movement activities without judgment from
others,” Hudson said.
In all, Hudson is glad she made the decision to switch from nursing and listen to her heart.
“I
am so happy I chose the field of music education to encourage children
to just have fun and be a kid,” Hudson said. “Through music, they are
able to laugh, learn, and explore in their own world of childhood play.”
Hudson’s
decision to follow her heart — and her dreams — by finding a profession
in music education has impacted hundreds of children. At Scott County
School District 2, Hudson’s story is our story. Your story matters. You
matter.