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West Realizes His Dream as a Music Teacher

As a young boy, born and raised in Martinez, Anthony West’s dream was always to be a music teacher.

Now 24, West realized his dream of working as a music teacher, here at Hercules High.

“I love it,” West stated. “This is the kind of place I wanted to work at, and I’m really lucky I got this job.”

West explained, his biggest musical influences were his father who played the banjo for him and his mother who signed him up for choir in the 1st grade, where he excelled.

West previously studied at Diablo Valley College for four-years where he received his bachelors in music when he graduated and has now been studying at Cal State East Bay for the past two-years working to get his masters degree.

West is a great teacher, according to his students always encouraging and connecting with them to the point that he seems as a close friend rather than a teacher.

“He’s so close to our age”, Hercules High Senior orchestra student Thao Lee Hoang stated. “So I’m able to connect with him better.”

Although he has only been at Hercules for one semester, West has already changed his students as musicians and their attitudes on music.

“He taught me music isn’t just a class,” Hercules High Junior Alyana Paulino explained. “It could be a way of life because he’s dedicated to music his whole life.”

West explained that he wants to see the music program at Hercules High grow, and to teach more students to appreciate music of all kinds and be united as a ensemble.

However he stated that the students passion for music motivates his work and without the students passion to learn he can not teach.

West stated he has had no problems with his the students’ passion for music and that he wants to put this school on the map, musically.

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