To continue North Valley Music School’s celebration of its 25th Anniversary in Program Year 22-23 and support the efforts of the capital campaign, we would like to profile the various reasons why music is important to you.
Submit your testimonial to Noteworthy!
Our first narrative is from Eric Schmidt:
“When I was 4 years old, my mother asked me if I would like to stand up at the Lasalle Grange to sing Christmas carols with my brother and my cousin while she played the guitar. Who was I to say no? I was only 4, and I loved being in front of a crowd. It was the Grange’s Christmas Bizarre performance and up until then all I cared about was if Santa was coming to pass out toys and caramel popcorn balls. And that’s when it happened, I discovered my love for music and singing.
I stood up there and belted out Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer like I was Josh Groban on the stage at the Grammys. My mom is a firm believer that music develops special parts of the brain that support the other learning centers. Finding out I could carry a tune, I’m pretty sure, wasn’t a huge surprise to both of my parents. My grandfather was an avid performer in the local Flathead Valley Jam scene and my mother was a performer in her own right even though she never showed off what she could really do outside of the house, except at the Grange. I feel lucky that I was able to take on half the talent they had.
Growing up in Whitefish there was always the decision of what sport you were going to play. I had a huge love of soccer and I played it competitively year-round, but there was always my love for music. Luckily, I had two supportive parents that encouraged me to do both. That’s when NVMS entered my life. It was 1998. I was 13 and North Valley Music School had just opened. I sang a solo performance at the eighth-grade talent show of ‘That Old Time Rock N Roll’ and the middle school music teacher suggested to my parents that I take a few voice lessons from NVMS.
At that time, I was a young man transitioning into high school/adulthood AND singing, well I’m pretty sure you can figure out the struggles that I was going through at the time in terms of finding the right key…….
Throughout the next four years of high school, NVMS became a part of my life. The skills I learned at NVMS helped my high school singing career excel. I was in the choir at school starting as a Freshman, but I was also asked to join the Vocal Ensemble. I participated in the district and state choir competitions all four years receiving superior ratings consistently in all disciplines. After high school, I attended Montana State University where I obtained degrees in Finance and Accounting all the while singing in the collegiate vocal chorale my first two years.
I currently serve as the President of First Interstate Bank in Whitefish. I owe my confidence in front of a crowd and my ability to sing to my high school teacher, Mr. Clossen, but more importantly, to the teachers at the NVMS. NVMS did and still does allow me to have music in my life even when we get caught in the trenches of “we are just too busy.”
This school didn’t just teach me how to be a better singer. It helped me become more patient, instilled a work ethic, and helped me be the man I am proud to be today. I can’t think of a better resource for our community to be enriched by the arts than NVMS, and because of that, I am proud to currently serve on the Board of Directors.”
–Eric Schmidt, NVMS Alumni and NVMS Board member
