“My memory of going to Hochstein is walking through the doors and just thinking, ‘This is exactly what a music school should feel like.’ Such a warm and welcoming place with the right mixture of order and chaos.”
When Sonia Rose was searching for a new piano teacher in high school, Joe Werner from The Hochstein School was highly recommended to her. She was familiar with Hochstein because she had done summer programs here when she was younger and her brother had studied here for a number of years. Sonia chose to return to Hochstein to take piano lessons from Joe, and it ended up being a great fit!
When she reflects upon her time at the School, she says that “they were really important formative years for me” and that “had [I] not found Hochstein and Joe at that time, I think my life would have gone in a very different direction.”
After Hochstein, Sonia studied music performance for her undergraduate years. She then went on to get her masters in music education. After teaching in Massachusetts and spending some time as a Peace Corps Volunteer, Sonia now teaches K-5 general music in a public school district in Illinois. She says that teaching is “a really great way to share my love of music and help kids … [by creating] a fun scenario in their school setting.”
When asked how her Hochstein education has impacted her career, Sonia says that her musical background and training have a large influence on what she does in the classroom. They have “helped build a terrific foundation” and allow her to have higher expectations of her students and know how to help them reach their full potential.
Sonia also shares that Joe has remained a lifelong friend who has “been incredibly supportive and very much a part of my journey.” She says that her friendship with Joe “has been an incredible gift.”
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