“The students here are really dedicated to working hard and they really understand what it takes to reach a certain level of excellence with music making and we are working every single day to increase our artistry and try to have some fun at the same time.” These words from Taylor Rodgers, the new Arvada West Choir Director, truly exemplify who he is as a person and how he feels about A-West. Around four years ago, Rodgers came across a video of the A-West Choir posted by previous choir director, Chris Manu. Rodgers says that he was “stunned by the level of excellence and the level of production” shown by the choir in the video. He then became interested in the progress of the A-West Choir over the past few years and hoped to be considered for the job. This past January the job opportunity opened up and Rodgers was brought in for an interview, where he secured the job. He goes on to say that it has “been wonderful.”
In the fifth grade, Rodgers was asked to lead a lesson in class by his teacher. Afterwards, the teacher came by and told him he was a natural and that he should look into becoming a teacher someday, which stuck with him. Rodgers says that “when it came time to decide what I wanted to do with life at the end of highschool, it was pretty clear to me that I wanted to become a teacher,” adding “ I ultimately decided choral music because I love it so much and it’s just really a good fit for me.” Rodgers was “coerced” into signing up by his friends in middle school when they were practicing something for their choir class and asked him to try it out. His friends told him that he was good at it and suggested that he talk to their choir teacher, Ms. Lemaster. He went to Ms. Lemaster’s class the next day and vocalized with her for a little while. The next thing he knew, he was in the class.
Outside of school, Rodgers enjoys spending time with his cat, Leo, as well as running, hiking, and attending student athletic events at A-West. Recently, Rodgers did the “Hood to Coast” run in Oregon, which is a long relay from the top of Mount Hood to the coast of Oregon. His favorite food is pad thai chicken but only if it is thai hot because he says “If I’m not crying, it hasn’t been a good experience.”
Rodgers shares that he loves to visit the memorial in Oklahoma City for the O.K.C Bombing in 1985. He states, “it’s just one of the most peaceful places to visit, even though it was the scene of a really horrific tragedy, it’s just an incredible spot.” He also remarks on the visibility of the stars in Oklahoma, sharing “I realized really quickly that in Oklahoma you can see the sky forever. I mean you could see the next town from the edge of your town and at night time there was not a ton of light pollution so you can really see how the stars are out there and that’s one thing I really loved about living in Oklahoma.”
Overall, Taylor Rodgers is truly a caring and supportive teacher. His passion for both music and his students shines through in his teaching, while his mission to have fun and improve the artistry of the A-West Choir makes him the perfect fit for the job.
