Michelle Frank is a dedicated music educator who has been inspiring 9-12th grade minds for 14 years. Her passion for music and commitment to her students are evident in her work at Franklin Learning Center in Philadelphia.
Michelle’s passion for music ignited her desire to become a music teacher. Initially drawn to a career in accounting, her college professors, Paul and Laura Salerni, inspired her to embrace her musical talents. Their guidance and support encouraged her to pursue a career in music education, ultimately leading her to share her love of music and commitment to equity for countless students in the city of Philadelphia.
Michelle’s journey with modern band began during her first year of teaching. Inspired by a colleague’s success in motivating middle school students with guitars, she took the initiative to learn the instrument. Despite initial challenges, she recognized the need for further guidance and sought out a modern band 101 training course in New York City. This transformative experience ignited her passion for the program, leading her to expand her curriculum to include keys, bass, and drums. Today, she proudly leads a program with four actively performing modern band ensembles, and notes, in particular, the Honors modern band, Universal Language, being a high demand for local and community performances all year long!
I saw increased engagement and improvement in students’ overall joy while they were playing. The curriculum allows students to feel a great deal of success very quickly when picking up a new instrument. This sense of accomplishment improves overall confidence and a desire to keep working towards achieving the next level of proficiency.
When asked if there is anything unique about her approach to teaching modern band, Michelle emphasizes the importance of valuing student input. “Students choose our repertoire, students direct parts of our musical, students are leaders, and I believe that it is my job to develop that part of them so that they can succeed after they graduate.”
Michelle has won the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award, was a Quarter Finalist for the Grammy Music Educator of The Year Award, and is proud to share that Franklin Learning Center is a Grammy Signature School.
She credits her success to a strong support system of colleagues. She is particularly grateful for her partner in crime, Colin Sharp (read his Teacher Feature here), and the instrumental music teachers at FLC: Nick Costa, Mike Huff, Jirair Youssefian, Jon Katz, and Ted Blohm. Together, they form an incredible team, supporting each other through teaching small group lessons, leading individual bands, and hauling equipment to gigs. In fact, one of her most cherished moments occurred after a band performance. She shared, “We were having dinner together, and it felt like a family. We, students and teachers, shared a vision for what our department could be, and all wanted to put in the work needed to get there. It was a feeling of synergy like I hadn’t felt before, and it is that much more special to me now that I can see the achievement of that vision.”
Michelle Frank is more than just a music teacher; she is a mentor, a role model, and outside of work, a mother of twins! Her dedication to her students and her passion for music has and will continue to make a lasting impact on countless young lives.
Want to learn more about how Music Will can transform your music program? Visit MusicWill.org.
