Dr. Elaine Anderson
Department: Music
What type of interesting features do you incorporate into your classes?
I teach music classes so there are opportunities for students to perform their own pieces they’ve written for theory class. TFor classes where I teach non-majors, we also incorporate active learning in an active classroom situation. We often play music on xylophones and bells while we are learning about complicated things like fugue, harmony, organum, etc.
In your opinion, how is Mount Union College unique from other small liberal arts colleges?
The students are very down to earth and genuinely nice people, as are the faculty. I really enjoy the wonderful students I have here.
How do Mount Union students benefit from attending a small school as opposed to a larger school?
It seems that the faculty really wants students to succeed. Everyone on the faculty that I am in contact with is really interested in students achieving their best. I attended a larger school for part of my higher education experience, and that wasn’t the case there. There were more roadblocks tossed in my way than these students seem to have.
Have you done any interesting research or developed any interesting courses at Mount Union? If so, explain.
I really enjoy choosing music for the ensembles that I’m in charge of at Mount Union College. It is a challenge to choose music that everyone will find intriguing, challenging yet “doable” and that will be standard or at least useful to them.
What kinds of opportunities do Mount Union students have after graduating from College?
Our music students have often gotten really interesting jobs in the fields of teaching. Some of our students go on to graduate school in music performance, music therapy, music history, etc. Some are now teaching in colleges. Some are singing with the Metropolitan Opera.
In what activities do you participate in your spare time?
I’m a fitness nut. I like to run, work out in the gym, kayak, hike, etc. I am usually running off to play my instrument in some orchestra, or gig as well.