A Catalyst for Student Passion

By Caden Dufour ’24

Ms. Martlock was the person who ignited my passion for music. Before meeting her, I had no interest in learning an instrument or getting involved in music. I guess I just figured that music wasn’t my thing. She introduced music in a way that got me excited and helped me realize that music can be for anyone and everyone, regardless of what age you start. The following is an interview with Ms. Martlock about her own passions and experiences growing up.

What made you choose Hebron?

What made me choose Hebron was that it was a boarding school and it was close to family. Being at a boarding school, I could assist students with all aspects of their life. When you are a public school teacher reaching out to a student at home is not accessible or appropriate. When at boarding school and the student is a boarder, I can help them through an entire challenging day. I grew up in Lewiston, and most of my family still lives in Lewiston or Turner. I wanted to be there for big moments for my family. My family is essential to me, so being close to them was a must.

Have you enjoyed your time here at Hebron?

So far, I have enjoyed being at Hebron. It is a different school culture than I am used to. Public schools are more regimented for teachers. There aren’t as many freedoms to teach the content you feel is important or how you want to teach/present the content. Public school also has less of a community feel than Hebron does.

Is your experience of Hebron as a teacher similar to your experience in high school?

My experience here is not similar to how it was in my high school. I went to Lewiston High School. The schedule, quality of education, behavior of students, and the campus were all different. We had a rotating four block schedule that had blue and white days. Our education was not the way things are now. Our lessons were old school instead of focusing on the needs of the learners. Many classes had interrupting behaviors in my school. We had lots of fights, drug problems, and we even had multiple times a year where our school would be on lockdown. We would have people threaten to bomb or do a school shooting. Sometimes it would just be crime from downtown that came onto our campus. Our campus only consisted of two buildings. We facilities were not updated. Our music program lived in the basement with the kitchen, mechanic shop, carpentry and electrical classrooms, trash, and deliveries. To get to my classroom, I would walk a hallway full of trash and broken furniture. If I had my class in the mid morning, the delivery trucks would park by the door near the choir room. The trucks would not turn off their engines, so the fumes from their trucks would enter our room during choir. Hebron is a much better environment than what I had growing up. It is truly a privilege to be here.

What made you decide to be a music teacher?

I did not want to be a music teacher at first. I planned on going to Berklee College of Music to be a jazz singer. Once I got into the school, my scholarship was not enough. I pivoted my plan and went to Southern New Hampshire

11 University. I majored in music education and only planned on being there to get core credits done. I got a work-study job at a private Catholic school, and that's where I fell in love with education. I fell in love with it so much that I changed my major to just elementary education. Thankfully, I had a professor who believed in my skills as a music teacher and convinced me to change back. I started teaching high school, and I loved it.

Has there been a special moment so far this year that has been significant or special to you?

There have been a few special moments in these past couple of months. A lot of them involve helping students or just spending time with them. The first moment was when the JV girls' soccer team scored their first goal. I was so proud of them, I was so happy with what they accomplished. Another moment was when I was on duty, and I had five girls after study hall wanting to talk to me about their lives. The last one has been a series of moments over time. I have had the privilege to watch students grow and change for the better. They have made incredible progress, and I think students have a lot of musical talent that needs to be set free.

Who's your favorite artist? Now? And growing up?

Picking a favorite artist is very hard to choose. My favorite artist right now would have to be Jojo. She is a pop/RnB singer. Growing up, my favorite artist was Evanescence. I still love that band to this day.