Dedicated and hard working are just a few of the many qualities that describe Woodland’s new music teacher, Ian Youngs He has high aspirations to expand the music program by gaining more students.

Many students already know him from Laurel Ledge because he was the music teacher there. Youngs left Laurel Ledge for multiple reasons, one being that the music program here needs some help to regrow. He has high hopes for the Woodland music department. Youngs’ goal for this year is to ensure the music program thrives by collecting data from students and finding out why some left.

Teaching at Woodland allows Youngs to grow because he is helping older, more experienced students. Youngs’ enjoys teaching as much as he loves learning. He still incorporates some of the lessons he learned in high school and college to the lessons he teaches now. As an elementary school music teacher, the main objective is to introduce music and explain the basic rules to younger minds. While he has enjoyed working with the elementary music level, he is looking forward to being able to expand his teaching abilities.

Youngs wants to ensure that students are able to have an opinion on how they are taught and what they are learning.

“I’ll be here when you guys are gone. But while you’re here, it is your program,” Youngs said.

Youngs wants to make sure students know what music courses are offered at the high school level. He fears that if students do not know what is offered at the high school, they will leave the program because they don’t know what will be next for them in the future. Youngs believes if he is more present with high school students, the music program will flourish. The hope is to travel to the elementary school to show the students that there is a future for them in band.

“That’s the start of growth,” said Youngs. “You light a little fire and it will catch on big.”