Toot Your Own Horn: Music Matters with Jonathan Knopfel (Episode 18)

Jonathan Knopfel grew up in a family where music and farming were both important. With a mom who was a school teacher and a church organist, and a dad who was a farmer, either direction felt like a possibility. Having started on piano, and it not working out, Jonathan started on the saxophone in the 5th grade on a school owned instrument, and it was in such disrepair he quit band. After a year of art class, he really missed music. it was his older sister who played the flute who inspired him to learn to play it and he did all the way through high school. However, with his family being in farming and his mom having held a really stress filled teaching position, especially towards the end of her career, Jonathan looked up to his mom and when she encouraged him to pursue a degree in agriculture, he did. But as fate would have it, in his last year at Oklahoma State, Jonathan needed an extra credit hour and decided since he had not been in band for 3 years, to join the marching band. It was that experience that flipped the switch, and he realized he needed to rethink his career path. So, while holding down a full-time job, Jonathan went back for a second undergraduate degree in music education and never looked back. Jonathan’s desire to teach beginning students and grow their love of music comes shining through in this episode. If you are trying to figure out if music education is for you as a career path, this episode will inspire you.