Unnerstall says community is at the core of his teaching philosophy
BY: NINA GOMEZ
Staff Writer
“She’s already buzzing her lips like a brass player,” said Dr. Grant Unnerstall, while he laughs about his about 20 month old daughter. Unnerstall is the new full time-professor in the music department at STLCC-Meramec. He directs and conducts the Meramec Symphonic Band that meets every Thursday night and teaches three music courses.
Additionally to having a full-time schedule at Meramec and a baby at home, Unnerstall is a part-time pep band director for St. Louis University and is the second vocalist and bass player for his blues rock band titled, “Tower Groove.” The band consists of his friends and family dating back to high school. “We were playing venues that we definitely were not old enough to be playing, but had a really good time,” he said.
Music seems to overpower his fears. “It’s definitely something I think would scare a lot of people like, ‘What do you mean I have to teach 60 year olds and 18 year olds?’ But I think it’s fun, because when done correctly, the heart of education is that age shouldn’t decide when you stop learning,” Unnerstall said.
The Meramec Symphonic band is made up of over 40 members, and the SLU pep band around 90. Both have a variety of ages, as SLU’s pep band consists of students and past alumni and Meramec’s Symphonic band consists of students, alumni and community members. Unnerstall said it “100%” cultivates an authentic community.
“They value each other because the trombones know if we don’t have a flute section, even if they disagree on every topic on the planet, that I need those flutes; it just perpetuates community,” Unnerstall said. He said this is important during “dividing times” like today, where it is easy to fight, and he doubts society appreciates the skill of community and finding common ground. “We could get people fighting real easy, and yet I can put a piece of sheet music in front of you and make all of you agree on something for the next two hours,” he said.
The need for each other creates real community, Unnerstall said, and that is what he loves about STLCC, in his short time being here.
“It’s very clear that we are St. Louis Community College, and I think that’s a beautiful thing to embrace, because that word community, has more value than people tend to give it and I think this place is doing a great job in promoting that idea,” he said. “Through the Meramec Symphonic Band, you’ve got community members and current students just starting their careers, and we give them a chance to cross in that ensemble.”
This sense and attention to community seems to have followed him throughout his career and life. Growing up in Columbia, Illinois, where he played trombone since fifth grade and played in his Columbia High School band, it taught him his love of music. He completed his undergrad at Illinois State University, received his masters in musicology at the University of Miami in Florida, and three years ago he received his doctorate in the music education program at the University of Missouri Kansas City.
“At first it was just that love of playing music, but as I went through my undergraduate degree and certainly into my masters and doctorate, it really did become, looking back, the things I loved the most were those marching band trips, the people I met along the way, and just the natural community that is created in a healthy ensemble,” said Unnerstall.
During his two years in Miami for his masters, Unnerstall spent most of his Saturday nights at South Beach, but not for the reason one thinks of at Miami South Beach. He was “absorbing” the New World Symphony perform live on a 30ft tall screen, with “state of the art” speakers, for free. A symphony composed of students from the Miami institution who are mostly in “the process of taking big auditions at major orchestras.
“That left a huge impression on me; it was another community building moment for me. This is what it’s meant to be like,” he said.
With difficulties of change of environment, language, transportation, socially, Unnerstall said he grew a lot from Miami. “It taught me that culture and community can be found anywhere,” he said.
After completing his doctorate at UMKC, Unnerstall and his wife moved back to St. Louis because of her job, where he became a band director and a brass specialist in the Rockwood school district for two years. Although he said he was grateful for his experiences, going from teaching college students during his Ph.D. and his aspirations for that, to teaching middle school students felt like a little bit of a stepback; however he said he was glad to still be in his field. “If you’re not hitting moments of adversity, you’re probably on a path that’s a little too easy for you,” said Unnerstall.
Unnerstall’s ongoing career search for community has now landed him at STLCC-Meramec. After graduating with his Ph.D., Meramec agreed to give him a chance to conduct a piece, and he played here the first semester before he got here. The Meramec Symphonic band has had a proud history of always having community members combined with students, he said. After seeing the job posted, he submitted his application.
“It was an exciting process; they brought four candidates to campus and we all got interviewed constantly throughout the day, and I wasn’t quite sure if I’d get it or not. When I did I gave it my best shot and sure enough I’m here”
His first day was Aug. 12, a start of “only 2 months or so,” he said as he looked over to a white blank wall with a couple memoirs from teaching middle school, college and his “bass stuff,” – memories of his past communities.
“I was teaching melody and harmony the other day in my music appreciation class, and somebody just said ‘yeah okay, so it’s like mario and luigi,’ and you know what, if that’s the way it connects with them– beautiful,” he said while smiling. Unnerstall’s focus in his classroom, he believes, should be about enjoying wonder and how other people hear things vs. a class of strict definitions only. He teaches both music appreciation and music fundamentals courses, both not requiring prior music knowledge.
“I’m excited to share my taste in music, a chance to just share who I am, what they can plan to get a taste of during my time here,” he said in regards to the upcoming Meramec Symphonic band concert. The band is composed of all wind instruments and performs Sunday Oct. 13 at 3 p.m., in our Meramec theater, free of charge.
The word community is something Unnerstall said is the first sentence of his philosophy of teaching and education. “I think if a community isn’t naturally growing out of your ensemble, then you’re not putting enough focus on the group, or the individuals. You start to trust each other and you want to work harder for the person next to you. And that’s just how a community gets better, right?” he said. “I feel like the ensemble is just such a beautiful way to teach that to people. I hope to perpetuate that throughout my career.”
At STLCC he continues that mission, he said. “I think that’s the most important thing we [educators] can teach them. Music is great, but I think the skill that we leave students with is most important, no matter whether you’re teaching community college, the St.Louis Symphony or sixth grade string ensemble class,” said Unnerstall. “The most important part you’re teaching is to be a part of something bigger than yourself.”
