When Mr. Wyman Jones retired from MCPS, many people were worried about the future of our instrumental music program at Springbrook. Fear no more! Ms. Guggenheim-Triana aka Ms. GT is here and her resume speaks for itself. The Blueprint had an opportunity to interview Ms. GT and learn about her extensive history and experiences with musical instrument. I can say with confidence that she is the right person to continue the legacy of Springbrook’s various bands.
Ms. Guggenheim-Triana or Ms. GT grew up in Montgomery County and graduated from Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Ms. GT states,“At Ohio State I majored in instrumental music education and I also received a certificate in educational ethics and social justice. In my time at Ohio State, I played with the wind Symphony, the Symphonic Band, the Flute Troop, and a whole bunch of other groups there.”
Although she studied the flute in college, her “first instrument was piano” which she started playing in Kindergarten. She continues, “Around my senior year of undergrad I also picked up the trombone, which I started playing more regularly.” As part of the Music Education work, she is required to be at least a middle school playing level on all the band and orchestra instruments. Those instruments includes that’s flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, bariton, euphonium, tuba, and percussion, violin, viola, cello,and bass. Ms. GT jokes, “Even playing this many instruments, guitar is beyond me, I cannot play guitar.” So, if you want to learn to play an instrument besides the guitar, she’s the person to go to.
How do you spend your time outside of the music world?
-“In my free time, I like to go on trips, I like to thrift, and I like terrible reality shows. I love to go thrifting. I’m a coffee fiend, so I love exploring different coffee shops. I also love to cook, I especially love to cook with friends.”
Ms. GT teaches many courses which include the Symphonic Band, Symphonic Orchestra, Beginning Band, Jazz Band, Marching Band (after school), one of the Piano 1 classes, and lunchtime Jazz Ensemble as well. “The Marching Band is performing at their very first MMBA competition on October 28. We are very excited to compete and hopefully we’ll bring something home to show off for everyone.”
What do you hope to achieve here at Springbrook?
-“I’d like to grow the number of students in the program. Ideally, I’d like us to get to the point where we have at least two concert bands and two concert orchestras. I think that would be fabulous. I’d like to keep competing in MMBA. I’d like to get to the point where we can participate in multiple MMBA events and where we compete at the State Finals in mid November. And I’d also start at some point indoor winter percussion. Winter indoor guard as well.”
What is one fun fact or story about your life?
-“I once played piccolo with the Ohio State Marching Band. It was a show to commemorate the Moon Landing. So, if you know the song “Stars and Stripes Forever,” there is a solo that’s played on piccolo. They were doing an event to commemorate my flute Professor Katherine Borst Jones, so they brought in 70 people including current students and alumni to perform Stars and Stripes Forever with the Ohio State Marching Band. That was probably the biggest crowd I have ever performed for you. That’s a cool fact.
Any advice for the Springbrook community?
-“You deserve the fruits of your hard work. You deserve to chase excellence and receive recognition for that excellence. You deserve to be awarded scholarships and accolades and anything of the sort because you put in that hard work. Putting your best work forward in whatever it is you’re passionate about, whether it’s music, theater, art, dance, sports, calculus, whatever it might be, you deserve to be excellent at it and you deserve to reap the benefits of doing excellent.”
We are looking forward to all the great things that Ms. GT will bring to our school.
