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鈥淭eaching music is the most important thing I do,鈥� says Ben Pollack (BME 鈥�14). 鈥淚t has to matter every day.鈥�

This month, Pollack鈥攁 26-year-old music teacher with the Huerfano School District RE-1 in Walsenburg, Colorado鈥攚ill be honored as Young Teacher of the Year at the Colorado Music Educators鈥� Association (CMEA) Conference. Pollack鈥檚 palpable enthusiasm and dedication to his students make him a deserving recipient of the award, which鈥攁ccording to the CMEA website鈥斺�渞ecognizes notable commitment to the art of teaching as well as a demonstrated ability to achieve excellence鈥� among music educators who are in their first five years of teaching, and who have shown 鈥渟ignificant proficiency in the classroom and respect in their school community.鈥�

鈥淭eaching is a service industry and I know I鈥檓 making a difference every day,鈥� continues the euphonium player of his first teaching post in Walsenburg. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about music, either鈥攊t鈥檚 about teaching these students that there鈥檚 more to life than the three exits of freeway where they live.鈥�

Indeed, he鈥檚 planning a California tour for his band kids during spring break. Drawing on his San Diego connections鈥斺�渢hat鈥檚 where I鈥檓 from鈥濃��, he鈥檚 arranging a performance opportunity, among others, at the San Diego Zoo; and the chance for his students to experience the San Diego Symphony鈥檚 presentation of Giacomo Puccini鈥檚 Messa di Gloria. 鈥淚t鈥檒l be an opportunity to share our music and experience what else is out there,鈥� says Pollack, also noting his students鈥� participation in statewide performance events, like the district鈥檚 Spanish Peaks Jazz Band traveling to Greeley for the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival. 鈥淚鈥檓 trying to get my students to consider the world beyond Walsenburg, which is 40 miles from anywhere else in any direction.鈥�

Despite the small size of the Huerfano School District RE-1, its music programming is ever expanding under Pollack鈥檚 leadership, offering a remarkable range of musical options for students from elementary through high school. But he鈥檚 the first to admit that his success in Walsenburg didn鈥檛 happen overnight.

鈥淚n my first year of teaching, it was Murphy鈥檚 Law,鈥� he laughs, recalling that his biggest first-year challenge was classroom management. 鈥淓verything that could go wrong, did. And I wasn鈥檛 mature enough, yet 鈥� I had to get out of my college-student mindset.

鈥淚 also needed to learn the history of the community鈥擶alsenburg鈥檚 boom and bust as a coal-mining town鈥攁nd I discovered how desperately they needed and wanted someone to galvanize the music scene. I gained greater understanding and more leverage to help students progress by making them feel like they鈥檙e the ones calling the shots.鈥�

Today, Pollack鈥檚 vision is ambitious: 鈥淭o get half the school involved in music,鈥� thereby making music more prevalent in more lives and inspiring students to see beyond where they grew up. 鈥淔or many kids, music will get them the discipline they need to create the lives they want,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey're also learning that, as a team, we always win. And that, as a family, we may fight 鈥� but at the end of the day, we love each other. They're learning respect and tolerance, and that everyone has a voice in music.鈥�

That said, there are challenges to overcome as Walsenburg aims to revive the glory days of its music scene, before the last coal mine closed in the 50s, forcing families to leave the natural beauty of Huerfano County in droves. Pollack points out that Huerfano School District Re-1 participates in the National School Lunch Program, which makes it possible for all its students to receive a free meal for both breakfast and lunch. Many of them are being raised by their grandparents and opioid addiction is a present threat.

Not to mention, Pollack has his hands full with everything from corralling instruments to managing relationships with parents, donors, the press and others. 鈥淎 few sports parents think music takes too much time, but the majority of everyone in town loves what we鈥檙e doing,鈥� he says, adding how gratified he felt when one of his students landed a percussion scholarship at Adams State College.

鈥淪ome days you give a lot and some days you take a lot. You have to feel your way through.鈥�