“I wanted to join the teaching profession because orchestra in high school meant so much more to me than just black and white notes on a page," says Anne Ray, music teacher at Annandale High School. "It gave me a sense of belonging, taught me the willingness to take risks and how not to be good at something right away, and gave me lifelong memories that I treasure to this day. There are so many things that the music classroom teaches that is applicable to every profession in life, and I wanted to give back the confidence that I grew in my orchestra back to my students.”

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