By Emily Burleigh

For Demetrius Alsandro Gatewood, 47, music is an intersectional study that plays a crucial role in students’ lifelong learning habits.

He has been a music and band teacher for pre-K through eighth grade at Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy, and heads the concert, pep and marching bands. He has learned that education is the right role for him because he is “touching the lives of children and developing lifelong learners who appreciate and value school.”

Music educators have the opportunity and ability to “ignite an interest in subjects like math, language arts, science, and music that can determine the type of learner the child will be throughout school,” and that is a responsibility he does not take lightly.

He is originally from Little Rock, Ark., but graduated from Washington-Marion Magnet High School in 1995. He attended multiple collegiate institutions — Jackson State University, Southern University and Texas Southern University — and ultimately received his Bachelor of Science in sports management from TSU. He later earned a Master of Arts in higher education administration from Louisiana State University.

Before taking on his role at SWLCA, he worked at McNeese State University as the director of student activities and cultural engagement. As someone who assisted students with their coursework, and in some cases helped with navigating life circumstances, he realized he wanted to serve students earlier in their education.

The best learning happens in a space that promotes cooperation and collaboration, and encourages students to play an active role in their education and learn from their peers, he said. Gatewood curates this environment by building a foundation of trust and respect with the students. The first step to achieve this is to realize the teacher can learn just as much from the students as they learn from the educator.

He encourages free-thinking in his classroom and shows respect to his students by letting them have space to discuss their personal ideas and interpretations of curriculum.

“My goal is to be a facilitator of learning and a mediator of discourse rather than simply telling students what I want them to know.”

His students are able to choose the music they perform, as well as the content they want to learn. This practice allows them to explore their emotions through music.

“Music can drive certain emotions and a certain piece can mean something different to each person. I want to validate my students and their feelings about a piece by allowing them to share their connections so that students can combine their various experiences to create a deeper and broader interpretation of a piece.”

The classroom is also an environment that welcomes “discussion, curiosity, dialogue and discovery.” He said this is paramount for learning because students have the agency to be themselves and make mistakes that help them grow.

“This way, mistakes happen in a safe, forgiving environment where students can learn from them before they have to learn those lessons in the real world.”

This is a methodology that prepares the students for the reality of adulthood.

“It is of utmost importance that educators prepare students to be high-functioning members of society when they leave the sheltered environment of school, regardless of what their role or vocations may be.”

Band and music classes play a special role in developing students for the future because the medium can improve their quality of life.

“Music education is important, not only for the marketable skills it teaches such as creativity, discipline, flexibility and the ability to cooperate with others, but also because it simply makes life more enjoyable. We must allow students to find ways to access and express their creative potential for their own sake.”

Gatewood believes one of the most important steps to being an effective educator is to prioritize fostering teacher and student relationships.

“Don’t stop loving your students. Make them believe they can. Students learn when you care.”