Church and music are great ingredients in our lives, fills our cup and makes it better.”

Music Teacher Joy Smith

As the current K-12 Music Teacher at St. Joseph Catholic School in Boyd, Joy Smith is one of the lucky ones who knew that she wanted to be a teacher at an early age. Not only did she know what she wanted, she accomplished it as well, having now been an educator with over 30 years’ experience.

 “From the time that I had some great teachers in my middle school years, I was just like that’s what I want to do. I’ve been interested in this since I was 11 years old and it’s been my focus since then,” Smith shared. Smith was influenced by a band director in high school who took an interest in her and helped her find the right things to prepare her for a career in music. They are still really good friends to this day.

“He was far more than just a teacher. He was a mentor,” she explained. 

Smith grew up in West Michigan with “a lot of music in the house” since her mom loved to sing and her dad loved to listen to music. She remarked, “My dad couldn’t carry a tune or keep a beat, but he loved to listen.”  Smith was strongly encouraged by her mother to continue playing piano throughout her school years and while she may not have appreciated it then, now she is thankful her mother made her stick with it. Smith went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in Education at Western Michigan University.

“I think people become teachers because they want to make the world better through meaningful education. I think that’s why people go into it. It’s never gonna be a big, huge money-making job.”  She feels that it’s a job that requires many sacrifices.

 “If you are a good teacher, kids will remember you all of their life. A lot of it is about being nice.”

Smith shared that what she enjoys the most about teaching is the relationships. “I most enjoy the people, students, teachers and families. They are the most essential ingredients. When great things happen, it’s because of all of us.”

Having taught in both public and private schools, Smith explained why she chose to continue her career at St. Joseph Catholic School.

“It’s a great school with a great staff and a great mission. I really like being a part of St. Joseph’s Boyd. I’ve taught in half a dozen schools, it’s definitely very high on my list.” She added, “It’s real positive. It’s about the kids. It’s a real team effort and that’s always such a good thing to do.”

Smith has been welcomed with open arms at St. Joseph Catholic School and her students have taught her how much fun learning can be and that the most important thing is being nice. In the upcoming year, she is most looking forward to using the new xylophones in music class.

Smith, who is in her 50s, is new to the Stanley area and moved to Thorp in January of this year after living in Manistee, Michigan where she met and married her husband, Jim Senn, a Thorp native.

 “I like living here and being a part of this community. People are friendly,” she mentioned. “It’s a beautiful state, lots of good reasons to live in Wisconsin, for sure,” she added, and commented on the many flavors of cheese that are available in Wisconsin. A fact that she is excited about since cheese is her favorite food and while she doesn’t like them all, “I really like the ones I like.” Baseball is her favorite sport and currently her favorite team is the Milwaukee Brewers. “They are great!” she commented. “I’m still kind of a Tiger’s fan from Detroit but I’m liking the Brewers right now.”

In her free time, Smith enjoys reading fantasy fiction, especially books by Ursula LeGuine.

Smith loves the outdoors and one of her favorite hobbies is backpacking and hiking in the woods. She mentioned that there are beautiful places to hike in this county.

Her hardest challenge as a teacher has been learning how to be with all different kinds of people with their different motivations. “Everybody’s different and we’re all motivated by different things,” she responded. She wishes parents would know that teachers are usually trying to make the world better and that they care about lifelong quality for the children. Smith believes that the main focus in music shouldn’t be on performing but the primary purpose of music classes is to have experiences and expand vocabulary in music.

 “The priorities should be on the quality of children’s education leading to their having a quality life,” she explained and shared that throughout the years, many of her students have positively impacted her life.

In the summers, Smith, who is a percussionist as well as a piano player, participates in an arts group, community choir, Church and various volunteer music groups in Michigan. She also currently performs with The Salt City Dixie Jazz Band, a group she has played piano with for 22 years that earns money for scholarships for kids’ music camps.  As a music major Smith was involved in a lot of musical groups in her school career. She feels that, “Church and music are great ingredients in our lives, fills our cup and makes it better.”

She enjoys listening to Celtic music since it ties into Appalachian and folk music. “You always feel good when you get involved in music,” Smith said and mentioned that music influences your happiness and mental health. “People just keep getting better if they are involved in music. I know an 80-year-old who is at the top of his game!” She asked, “Doesn’t it elevate your happiness to sing?"