Mrs. Tillman's bio

MRS. TILLMAN'S MUSICAL BIO

Elementary School

I was terrified to sing when I was a child. I sounded weird and I knew it. (Apparently, I looked weird, too..... see picture below.)

This is my third grade school picture.

While I enjoyed music class, I never sang. I just listened. I remember, though, that memorizing things was easy for me. I used to get in trouble with the music teacher for playing the songs on bells from memory. She wanted me to look at the notes. I told her I had already looked at the notes, memorized them, and now I'm playing them. She thought I was being a wise guy. I probably was, but I didn't think so at the time.

In fifth grade, the middle school band director brought over his band kids and did a concert for us in an effort to get us to join his middle school band the next year. He passed out forms to those who wanted to sign up. I saw that Kenny Kannon raised his hand for a form. I thought Kenny was really cute so I figured if Kenny was going to be in band, then so would I. I had been taking gymnastics for almost five years and was still no good at it, so I may as well try something else. I couldn't be any worse at band than I was at gymnastics.

Wow! Five years of gymnastics and that's as good as I could do?

Middle School

What do you know? I was good at music! Thank goodness. I was getting tired of being 11 years old and in gymnastics class with five year olds... who were better than me. When I joined band I wanted to play the drums, but my mom didn't want to hear me banging on stuff around the house, so I played the flute. I became quite good rather quickly and by the time I was in seventh grade, I joined the eighth grade band, totally skipping intermediate band.

Hey look! It's me only without wrinkles, bags, and sags! This was seventh grade.

And as fate would have it, Kenny was good too! He played the clarinet and we both skipped over 7th grade band into advanced band. By the time I was in eighth grade I was as good as, or better than, most high schoolers and my parents bought me a professional flute and a piccolo so I could be ready to play with the big boys the next year.

This is my eighth grade band picture. I had on so much hairspray, if you picked up one strand of hair, the rest of it would follow along.

High School

High school was a lot of fun and I got to play with many talented older kids. I learned a lot from them. I played the flute and piccolo in the top band and started to learn the French Horn and played that in the second band. I was also the student conductor for the band. (So was Kenny.... we took turns!)

This is my weird group of geeky 80's high school friends. Guess which one is Kenny? I'll give you a hint... he's the only guy in the picture. (And I'm sure you can spot me in that loud dress!)

At this point I knew I was going to study music in college so I tried to learn as much as possible. I started taking piano lessons. One of the greatest things my teacher made me do was to sing and play at the same time. Back to the dreaded singing! I HATED doing this and I sat there during lessons crying at the piano while trying to play and sing some Christmas carols. It's a lot harder than it looks when you're young. Despite the fact that I disliked it at the time, it was the single most important thing for me to learn to be a good elementary music teacher.

Throughout high school, I auditioned for and made many district and state bands (so did Kenny) and we had a grand ol’ time driving the old VW around to rehearsals and concerts.

That was the coolest car I've ever owned!

In an attempt to again practice my leadership, I also tried out for Drum Major (with Kenny, who, over the years, became one of my best friends) for our Senior year in marching band, but neither of us made it.

This is me in my high school marching band uniform. I wished at the time it was the Drum Major uniform. I was a senior here. Check out those HUGE mid 80's glasses!

College

I was accepted on a music scholarship to the University of Georgia and started there in 1985. During my years there I was involved in a wide variety of performing groups:

1. Marching band
2. Wind Ensemble
3. Symphonic band
4. Contemporary Chamber Ensemble (weird stuff!)
5. Flute Choir

Kenny lived in the dormitory next to mine and we stayed friends all throughout college hanging out and going to marching band rehearsals and football games.

This is me in the Redcoat Marching Band on the field at a game. I'm the one turning around. Gee, everyone else is in formation.... I'm such a rule breaker.

This is me and some guy in the Alabama marching band. We thought it would be funny to trade hats. I didn't march the show like that.

Post College

As soon as I graduated, I got married (not to Kenny) and moved to Miami where I got the job here at Highland Oaks a few months later in October of 1989.

Here I am playing the flute with my first chorus in 1989. It was my first year of teaching. I was terrified.

This is my third year of teaching performing at a school event. I was still terrified. And yeah, I cut off all my hair. Miami is HOT!

I was voted Teacher of the Year in 1999 and was a finalist for Region II, though I did not win for the Region. In 2003, I received my National Board Certification in Music. As of now, I am the only teacher at VABHOE with this certification, though when scores come out this Thanksgiving, there could be another!

This is my Teacher of the Year picture in 1999. I wasn't terrified anymore.

I worked hard for this. I gotta put it up. This is my National Board certificate.

Whatever happened to Kenny, you ask? We stayed friends from age 10 to the day I left for Miami. We were never boyfriend and girlfriend.... just buddies. I caught up with him a few years ago and discovered he got married, had kids, and moved to Idaho.

I am happy as a clam here and I plan on staying another 20 years until I retire. (Unless I keel over first.)

This is my newest musical pursuit... the mandolin. Isn't it cute?

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