My Music Journey

by Donna Butler

Growing up in North East Arkansas in the 1940s and 50s, our main source of music was the radio and music at church. My family loved music, but none were trained musicians. My parents bought a new piano for our family when I was about school age. I began private piano lessons in the 2nd grade and my lessons continued through college. There were no music classes in my school at that time. I enjoyed singing at church and loved to hear the harmony that those adults could make. As a teenager, I became the pianist for our small church. When I became high school age, the school hired a high school band and choir teacher. I signed up for both. During high school I played snare drum in the band and sang soprano in the choir.

My love of music and my dream of teaching met at Arkansas State University. I graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1958 and knew I wanted to teach elementary school music. By that time I had discovered that you can teach anything through music and that music touches people in a profound way. I earned a teaching certificate in the Montessori method in 1983 and a teaching certificate in Orff-Schulwerk Music method in 1985.

During these past 50 years of my life’s journey, I have taught many private piano lessons (including our own children), directed many children’s choirs in churches, played piano for worship services, built a children’s music program at the Montessori School, taught in other private and public schools, and taught music appreciation classes at North Arkansas College. I have, also during those years, sung soprano in adult church choirs and community choirs and played in adult hand bell choirs.

My passion continues in teaching children through music at church. It is a joy to see children enjoy making music together and then see them learn to use it to worship God.