Steve Flowers

Tell us why you became a teacher

I have loved music since I began taking piano lessons at the age of six, and my goal as a teacher is to show my students how music can play some kind of a role, big or small, in everyone's lives. I've been able to inspire many students to continue their musical journeys beyond middle school, some even professionally. I have also had many students whose only musical experience was being in bucket band, and years later they tell me how it was one of their favorite things in middle school.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Last year I brought my Steel Drum Band to perform a clinic at the Illinois Music Educators Conference in Peoria, Illinois. I was so proud of my students, they worked extremely hard to prepare for this, and they were so excited to play for the large group of hundreds of music teachers and college students. Our clinic was very well received and it inspired many educators to start their own steel drum programs at their schools!

What would you do with the $25,000?

I am retiring very soon, and music is still going to be a prominent part of my life. I would love to build a state-of-the-art studio in my basement, a place solely dedicated to composing, playing and recording music. I would use this studio to collaborate with other musicians both in person and remotely, and it would be my work area to inspire me to continue writing plays and musicals.