New USD 257 band teacher Ranie Wahlmeier has entered Iola with her first career position. The Burlington native and K-State graduate directs both the middle school and high school bands for the district.
“I wasn’t sure what the job market was going to be like and I didn’t want something huge,” Wahlmeier said. “A 4A school in small town Kansas sounded perfect to me. That’s where I grew up and it’s what I’m used to. It’s a comfort zone deal and it’s just something I thought I could feasibly handle coming right out of school.”
Wahlmeier graduated with a music education degree last December and became familiar with teaching when she student taught at Washburn Rural High School in Topeka.
When she attended K-State, she immediately knew her career was built for music. She originally played clarinet in the band and later learned tenor saxophone while in high school.
“That was the thing I connected with the most was the band,” Wahlmeier said of her time at K-State. “I liked other classes, but the thing I wanted to make a living on was music. I found through other leadership positions in high school that I actually liked being a teacher. So it made sense to go for music teacher and combine the two.”
Wahlmeier said jazz is a hobby and she is thrilled to teach both a high school and middle school jazz band. She also has four other classes. Sixth grade is split with brass in one group and the second being all woodwinds mixed with the percussion. Wahlmeier also teaches a combined seventh and eighth grade band and another at the high school level.
She became acquainted with Iola through the this summer, when she taught Summer Music Madness for two months. The high school band will be marching for football halftime shows as well as performing at festivals in the spring.
Wahlmeier hopes her students enjoy time in the band as they learn from her.
“For the winter concert, I basically want the kids to have fun,” Wahlmeier said. “The goal is to challenge them a little bit and have them learn something while still putting on a good performance for their family members.”
Newcomers join 257 teaching ranks: Band music is Wahlmeier’s passion
