Photos courtesy of Melissa Bonds.
Pizitz Middle School choir teacher Melissa Bonds conducts her choir.
Melissa Bonds is in her 19th year teaching choir at Pizitz Middle School, where she has spent her entire career. A Pizitz and Vestavia Hills High School alum, Bonds also serves as the vocal music associate at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, where she sings and leads worship. She is married to Austin, who works for Homewood City Schools, and the couple has three children: A.J., a ninth grader; Addie, a seventh grader; and William, a kindergartner.
Photos courtesy of Melissa Bonds.
Bonds, pictured with husband Austin, sons A.J. and William and daughter Addie.
Q: What first drew you to music and teaching — and when did you realize this was the work you were meant to do?
A: Music has always been an important part of my life. I come from a very musical family where everyone loves to sing — when other kids were watching Nickelodeon, I was watching “The Sound of Music” and “The King and I.” And I was in every musical group that was offered in school and at my church (even handbells!). So the love of music was always there. The love for teaching developed later as I was a part of excellent choir programs in middle school and high school (with Brent Coleman, Megan Rudolph, Bob Hatfield and many others). Once I realized I could have a career that would allow me to teach others the tools they needed to enjoy making music for the rest of their lives, I never looked back.
Q: After your years in the classroom, what’s something your students have taught you along the way?
A: Music can be very technical (as a math person, I love that about it), as well as expressive and artistic. But, CHOIR is about more than the music. The students remind me daily that we are in this together. Yes, we learn about the theory and the ear training and how to be expressive. But we are building relationships through this process, and those relationships are what make the music-making so special. We cannot be successful as a choir without each other. Every person in the room is important to our success and to our experience.
Q: Is there a particular performance, student or moment from your career that you find yourself remembering most often?
A: There isn’t one particular moment that I go back to, but a unique part of my job that I reflect on often is that I have the privilege of spending three years with many of my students. I get to watch them grow and change as human beings but also as musicians. I watch them learn to work with other students from across our school and develop friendships they might not otherwise have formed, and I watch them learn about their important and unique role on our team. I have a first-row seat as they learn to love music and singing as part of a choir and as they realize their talent and see their hard work pay off. I’m so thankful I get to be a part of that journey with them.
Q: What do people who have never been in a choir classroom misunderstand about what it takes to make a choir truly special?
A: There is no prerequisite for choir. It doesn’t take a certain personality or skill set. We want as many students as possible to come through our room and realize their potential as a singer and musician. I have heard the phrase “I can’t sing” from students (and adults) when I talk about my job or about being part of a choir. As I tell them, this is simply not true. Everyone loves music, and anyone can learn to sing. They just need someone to encourage and guide them as they develop their skills. Singing is meant to be enjoyed for a lifetime, and I love giving students the foundation they need to enjoy making music long after they leave us.
Photos courtesy of Melissa Bonds.
Bonds directs the choir at its holiday concert.
Q: Outside of school and music, what are a few things that bring you joy or help you recharge?
A: Of course, singing is a part of everything I do. So you will find me expressing my joy, sorrow, frustration, humor, love, etc., through singing. To recharge, I love to read, go for a walk and spend time at home with our entire family (nights when we are all home at the same time with nothing on the schedule are becoming more rare and precious these days). When we can, we love to watch movies together, play games or walk to the fields behind our house for whiffle ball games (I am not the most athletic in my crew, so I often take the cheerleader or all-time pitcher role in these games … they are very patient with me).
Q: If you could give your first-year teacher self one piece of advice, what would you tell her?
A: Our students are extremely thoughtful and reflective. Whenever I give them the opportunity to evaluate, discuss and offer their thoughts, I am always impressed by their observations and the connections they make. I wish I had known in my early years how to be a better listener. Our students each have a unique perspective to share, and WE can learn a lot from THEM.
Q: What do you hope your students remember most about being in your choir?
A: I truly hope that the students who have been a part of the choir program at Pizitz know that they are loved and valued, they are smart and creative and we are their biggest cheerleaders. I also hope they remember to see the value in others — we all have unique gifts and abilities to bring to the table. I hope they remember special moments of music-making and fun with friends but also the challenges they faced and overcame together. They can do anything.
Q: When you’re not teaching or making music, what does a perfect day look like for you?
A: A perfect day for me would include sleeping late (I am not a morning person), eating out as a family at some of our favorite restaurants (cooking is stressful!) and no agenda. My kids are in three very different phases of childhood (high school, middle school and just beginning elementary school), and I love for them to have time together when they are relaxed and not pulled in other directions. Seeing them enjoy one another and time together as a family brings me the most joy.
