Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Mills.
Jordan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I graduated from the University of Kansas in 2018 with a bachelors of music education in Music Therapy. I spent the first 5 years of my professional career working at Music Therapy private practices mainly with children diagnosed with Autism. I got offered a job to teach music classes at a local art center to preschoolers and kindergarteners and ever since then I’ve shifted toward the Music Education side and now teach music classes to babies up to 2nd grade. Throughout the years I’ve worked at many daycares, an art center, a community school, as well as a special education school providing music classes. I also teach private lessons and coach for a Rock Camp over the summers. I call myself a traveling music teacher because I commute to 5 different places throughout the week.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have certainly been places I’ve worked that didn’t value their employees or their time and efforts. My job is unique in a way that since I work at so many different places I was able to weed out the businesses and companies that weren’t a good fit for me. As the saying goes “when one door closes another door opens” was certainly true for me. Every time I chose to leave a place that under appreciated me, almost instantly I’d be presented with a new opportunity.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a Music Educator with a background in Music Therapy. Since my early career was entirely in special education I’ve been trained to accommodate all abilities in my music class as well as adapt on the spot if I needed to. I use these skills every day to meet each child and class where they are at. I believe that any person of any ability can make and enjoy music.
Music is a universal language that we all can speak if given the necessary tools. Part of my job is to be the bridge that connects the kid to the music.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Baby giggles. Little hands exploring different instruments. The way tiny faces light up when they hear a song they recognize. Having the privilege of watching children learn, discover and grow.
One of my favorite feelings is when I’m singing a song to my baby and caregiver classes and all the adults start singing with me. It makes me so unbelievably happy that we’re together as a community, supporting each other and singing to our babies together.
I’ve witnessed a baby stand and clap for the first time, a child use their AAC device to communicate with me, a kid with limited motor function to play an adapted instrument, a shy and uncertain kid begin to feel comfortable enough to join music class, a child that gets overjoyed by learning a new chord on the ukulele and so many other HUGE accomplishments. Growth looks so different for each child and how lucky am I to have a front seat to experience that.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @jordanmills_music
