WEST JORDAN — Before you ever step inside Majestic Elementary Arts Academy in West Jordan, you might already know something special is happening there.
Music fills the halls every day, and at the center of it all is Lisa Blodgett, a music teacher whose students say she makes learning music fun and inspires them to do their best.
This coming New Year’s Day, Blodgett will take that passion to the national stage, marching in the Pasadena Rose Parade along with more than 300 other band directors from across North America.
The parade entry, called “Saluting America’s Band Directors,” honors music educators with the theme “America’s band directors: We Teach Music. We Teach Life.”
“I think it’s just something cool that I can go and I can share with my students that here are some opportunities that you could have down the road,” said Blodgett. “So, it’s sharing my love of music with my students also.”
Inside her classroom, Blodgett is known for helping students. She said one of her favorite parts of her job is when she sees a student hit the right notes.
“When you see it in their faces, their face kind of lights up and they’re like, ‘I finally got it.’ That’s when the emotions come to me and I want the tears to the eye a little bit,” she said with a smile.
Her fifth grade students Jax Zeigler and Benson Eldredge couldn’t agree more.
“She’s, like, one of the best music teachers that you can learn from, because you learn, kind of, really quick,” said Jax.
“She makes learning music fun, and she’s the reason why I want to come to school every day,” said Benson.
For Majestic Elementary Principal Marianne Johansen, Blodgett’s impact extends beyond music.
“Lisa is the heartbeat of this school. I just wish I could clone her and put her in every grade level,” said Johansen with a laugh. “When kids who are struggling wind up in my office, I often ask them, ‘who’s an adult in the building with whom you connect? Like who’s an adult that you feel you can trust?’ Overwhelmingly, students will say Miss Blodgett.”
That dedication and passion is what led Blodgett to be chosen for the Rose Parade.
“I’m excited to go,” she said.
And she won’t just be marching in the parade. Blodgett will also be playing her trombone, marching the 5-and-a-half mile route.
“Playing is one thing, but playing and walking also, that’s a different ball game,” she said with a laugh. “We’ve got five songs that we have to memorize. I’m home marching in my living room and I’m playing through the tracks just to make sure I’ve got it all up here so that I’m ready to play when I get there.”
For the students at Majestic Elementary, Blodgett’s selection is proof of the value of music, creativity and dedication.
“We tell our kids all the time to dream big. You can do whatever you want. I think it’s up to us to set that example of what to dream for,” said Johansen. “Miss Blodgett sets that example.”
For Blodgett, it’s that connection to her students that makes it all worth it.
“Making connections with kids is probably one of the most important things in education,” she said. “If you don’t make that connection, what you do isn’t going to always be important for them.”
