From singing My Way at a funeral, to directing musical theater orchestras and north Minneapolis church choirs, to her current job teaching piano and voice to students at Camden Music School, Jaette Carpenter’s interest in music has led her to experience and accomplish amazing things.
Jaette moved to north Minneapolis with her family from West Bend, Wisconsin when she was just one year old. She attended Cleveland Elementary and Jordan Junior High, and graduated from Henry High School. Then it was on to North Hennepin Community College, and a music and education degree from Augsburg College.
Her love for music was fostered early on by her mom and dad who gave each of their four children the opportunity to take piano lessons. “And we couldn’t always afford it,” she said, “I don’t know how my parents did it.”
But they persisted, and Jaette blossomed as a musician and a person. She says she was always very shy, all the way through high school, but through her musical experiences, and with the help of two mentor/teachers, Dorothy Rast at MacPhail School of Music, and Susan Lehner at North Hennepin, she overcame her shyness.
She learned to deal with large audiences during recitals at MacPhail, and she was pushed to explore her singing voice and perform at North Hennepin. Anyone who knows Jaette today will attest to the fact that she’s not so shy anymore. “I wouldn’t be who I am today without music,” Jaette concurred.
Jaette began teaching music in 1974. “Once I started, I couldn’t get enough of seeing students’ light bulbs turn on as they realized that they can actually produce something creative,” she said, “The joy is in really listening to kids and trying to answer their questions in a way that they understand. Eventually something clicks, and seeing that ‘click’ is still really exciting to me.”
Being a good listener is one key to her success as a teacher. Carpenter suggests that listening is also a key to getting kids interested in music. She recommends taking children to hear all different types of music – often – at open air concerts, churches, schools or wherever else you can find it.
If your children are taking music lessons, Carpenter suggests that good listening is a key to getting them to practice, too. “Listen when they practice, even from another room, and if they do something well, or if something needs a little work, give them some positive feedback so they know you care about what they’re doing.”
Carpenter stresses the importance of giving people of all ages the opportunity to express themselves creatively and to bring out their emotions through music. “Can you imagine a North Minneapolis with people singing, or playing an instrument in every home?” That’s her dream. May it come true.
Jaette Carpenter lives in the Cleveland neighborhood with her husband, Randy, her daughter Siri, and their dog, Chance. Her oldest daughter, Meta, is a senior at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Jaette teaches piano and voice lessons at the Camden Music School.