Cody Kiesling is a new teacher on the staff of Dakota Ridge High School this year, responsible for teaching some of the musical arts such as the band and orchestra classes.
All the way from the University of Oregon with his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Kiesling taught for two years until his girlfriend got accepted into Colorado University Boulder for her doctorate in musical arts, specifically flute performance. Since both of them liked Colorado, they decided to move here together, and Kiesling found DRHS.
“I think the community here, especially the marching band program and the music program in general, is really strong,” Kiesling said. “I feel like people enjoy listening to the bands, they enjoy listening to the orchestras, and they enjoy being a part of the process.”
Kiesling felt very supported by the staff: “I felt nothing but welcoming energy from everybody in the staff,” he said. “From Ms. Parker to Mr. Heckel, from football coaches to basketball coaches, everybody has been very welcoming and understanding and very helpful.”
Kiesling says he enjoys the energy the school brings to the pep rallies and is excited to experience the rest of the school year as a staff member at Dakota Ridge. But why did he start teaching in the first place?
¨I teach music because I truly believe it connects all people, ¨Kiesling said. ¨Music has been a part of every culture from as far back as we can find. It is an innate human characteristic.¨
According to Kiesling, teaching music is a way for him to tap into that characteristic, no matter the person. So it’s no surprise he wants to keep teaching.¨I really enjoy my job and plan on continuing to do that,¨ Kiesling said.
Kiesling also recently got an award for Athletic Teacher of the Week and felt honored to receive it. ¨It was nice to receive recognition for all the hard work that goes into music athletics,¨ Kiesling said. ¨Not only on my end, but the amount of work my students do!¨
It’s clear Kiesling not only has a strong passion for musical arts, but also for teaching and bringing a positive attitude to any performance his students put on. He holds pride in his students for all their hard work in making the DRHS musical classes what they are, and hopefully what they’ll continue to be.
