Music Educator Finds Her Confidence, Now Inspires Others

Key Points

• LVC’s music faculty helped Emily Sue Wetzel grow as a musician and teacher, lessons she passes on as a High School Music Teacher in Schuylkill County.
• Classroom observations and other hands-on preparation taught Wetzel necessary skills to inspire her high school students.

For Emily Sue Wetzel ’23, music education is about more than teaching students how to make music. It is about helping them find confidence in themselves and discover something they can carry with them for years to come.

That is a lesson Wetzel learned during her time at Lebanon Valley College, where hands-on experiences and supportive professors helped her grow from an introverted student into a confident musician and educator. Now, as a high school band director and general music teacher in the Minersville Area School District, she strives to give her students the same encouragement and confidence that helped shape her own journey.

“When considering careers in high school, I loved helping others, especially younger students in the Music Department, so it naturally made sense that I would pursue music education,” said Wetzel. “Then as time went on, I realized I wanted to provide that same experience for others while giving back to the Schuylkill County community that gave so much to me.”

Today, Wetzel especially values watching students discover a passion for music, including those who may have never considered it before. Whether they continue studying music, perform in community ensembles, or simply enjoy it as a lifelong hobby, she is proud to help them find something they can carry with them throughout their lives.

Wetzel cites the hands-on preparation as one of the greatest highlights of her LVC experience. Beginning her first year, she observed music classrooms from kindergarten through high school with all types of ensembles, created lesson plans, and regularly practiced teaching them to her classmates. Wetzel’s professors recognized her individual strengths, while also challenging her to grow beyond her comfort zone into a more confident musician, teacher, and person.

“That is now what I strive to give my students: the confidence to grow, recognize their abilities, and know they genuinely belong,” said Wetzel.

Wetzel has stayed connected to LVC and her former professors after graduation, seeking guidance about curriculum and areas of music education she wanted to explore more deeply.

“Lebanon Valley College is a beautiful small campus with so much opportunity to learn and grow in every facet as a music educator,” said Wetzel. “As a very introverted student with significant anxiety, I was drawn to LVC’s welcoming environment and professors who genuinely cared about each and every student. LVC offered the meaningful challenges I needed to grow into a well-rounded musician, educator, and person.”