Mr. Anderson: A musical mastermind Tim Broxterman ‘12 If you’ve ever taken a class that has anything to do with music at Elder, there’s a 99.9% chance that you’ve had Mr. Anderson. His presence in the music department seems to be omnipotent. Being a musical enthusiast myself, I decided to have a brief discussion with him to see what it’s like in his mind. Mr. Anderson grew up in Bay Village, Ohio, far away from our beloved Cincinnati. As a child, he attended Bay Village’s public schools for grade school and high school (he’s one of the few faculty members who isn’t an alumnus of Elder). It was during this time that he was introduced to music. It all started in second grade when he started learning piano. From there, he moved to concert drums in 5 th grade, and drum set in 7 th . From there, this simple hobby grew into a lifelong love. While music was always a big part of Mr. Anderson’s life, he didn’t decide to make it career choice until he was a sophomore in high school. However, unlike most kids who pound on the drums until the wee hours of the morning, he wanted to play classical music and orchestral stuff. So while he would always be willing to jam with other musicians, his true passion was in the concert hall. As time went on, his love for music continued. Even his family supported him, which was a very big factor for him. Unlike most parents, who would complain that their child would spend too much time on the drums when they’re trying to watch TV (I’m speaking from experience here), Mr. Anderson’s parents wanted him to practice as much as possible. Taking lessons every week can really run up a hefty cost after a while, so they looked at his constant practicing as a way of getting their money’s worth. When it came time to choose an institute of higher education, Mr. Anderson chose pursue his dream and attended the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM) for music performance, specializing in percussion. After graduation, he began looking for a teaching job, and found one at the legendary Elder High School. The job turned out to be his dream job and Mr. Anderson has been here for “fourteen long, happy years.” When asked why he has chosen to stay here all these years, Mr. Anderson stated that he loved the family atmosphere of Elder. Despite not being from Cincinnati or Catholic, he feels like he fits in here. The unique family setting is one of his favorite parts about Elder. Also unique to Elder is the student interaction, which keeps teaching enjoyable and fun. So what does Mr. Anderson teach? Well, he teaches a music theory course first period where legendary students such as Drew Conroy put on their scholarly caps and listen to Mr. Anderson’s legendary lectures. He also teaches the band with Mr. Geis and the glee club with Mr. Allen and Ms. Schad. This alone keeps him pretty busy, but he didn’t want to stop there. Along with a band or glee club concert every few weeks, he must also keep up with the Steel Drum Band and their numerous gigs. Trying to manage all of those things and a personal life is pretty difficult, and his day is pretty hectic. Because of the numerous things that require his undivided attention, he has had to sacrifice certain aspirations to keep up. For example, he had to give up helping with the indoor drumline to after 10 years because his schedule was too busy. Also, while he would like to play in a more traditional rock band, even if it is just one gig a month, he doesn’t have enough time to rehearse. But, he still plays music too, right? Of course! Mr. Anderson has been known to play with the Kentucky Symphony and the Hamilton/Fairfield symphony as a substitute. As stated before, he’s pretty busy working with Elder, so a full time orchestral job isn’t really possible, but he loves to play whenever he can. Mr. Anderson is truly one of the greats at Elder. He brings enthusiasm and wisdom to class that only a few teachers can equal. I cannot suggest strongly enough that you take a class with him or at least strike up a conversation with him in the hallways. He’s one rad dude and you’ll never meet anyone else like him.