Recipes for Living Lisa Wallace

God has blessed me with a good life. My family and I are very close, my present teaching position is precisely what I prepared and hoped for, and I really love our church. How could I ask for more than that?

I grew up in loving family. I have three younger sisters-Julie, Gina, and Lana – now two brothers-in-law, and several nieces and nephews. I was seven years old when Julie was born and Gina and Lana followed within two years. The hardest trial we ever went through was my father's cancer. He learned about it six months before he died. We all rallied around and shared what time we had as best we could. With very few exceptions, I saw him every day. I consider it a plus that he pulled no punches. He and we all knew exactly what was going to happen, and when the time came, we were all around to help him out of this world at age 57. That was 14 years ago. I still have my Mom, and we talk almost everyday.

My roots go back to Centerville, Iowa, where both sets of grandparents lived. Even though Dad was head football coach in various places throughout the state, our family moved to Centerville when I was in eighth grade. Throughout my high school years I was in lots of activities pertaining to music, both instrumental and vocal. I graduated in 1971, went on to Indian Hills Community College in Centerville, and graduated from Truman State University at Kirksville, Missouri, which had been Northeast Missouri State before the name change. I took some post-graduate hours at Northwest Missouri State and Drake University. My major, of course, was always music, and I have now been teaching for 14 years.

Our entire family seemed to choose teaching for their career. Both my parents were teachers; and two of our four grandparents taught at some time or other. My three sisters are teachers and 11 other relatives teach. Mom was a music teacher for seven years, and has now had morning and afternoon classes in her own pre-school for the last 25 years. I taught with her for nine years before getting into the public school system. Not everyone understands pre-school, that it is not baby-sitting but has a definite curriculum. The children learn recognition of numbers and letters, particularly to recognize their printed names. They learn colors, shapes, and different seasonal or holiday particulars.

In my present position, I am teaching music to all the elementary classes. My first job after receiving my degree was at Grant City, Missouri. From there I went to Moravia, Iowa. In both of those I taught kindergarten through twelfth grades. From there I went to Carroll, Iowa where I taught kindergarten through eighth grades in the Kuemper Catholic system. I am finally where I wanted to be, teaching kindergarten through sixth. I have about 800 students and one of the on-going challenges is to be able to call each student by name, but it is getting easier.

It is fascinating that most of us sing naturally. My mother tells me that when I was 18 months old I stood in my crib singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and the tones were correct. My job involves taking that natural ability and adding the intellectual skill of reading music: The main goal of music education is learning how to read music. This might start in lower grades with teaching children to become aware of high and low tones and long and short sounds. In time children learn to attach high and low notes to the staff, and how long to hold each one. It involves learning how far to pitch the voice high and low, which really is as complicated as learning to read words. Some concepts are taught all the way through like learning to keep the beat. Hopefully, by fifth and sixth grades the children can apply these concepts in two- or three- part choral music, such as we sing in my fifth and sixth grade choruses.

I really enjoy the youngsters that I teach. There are people who take a dim view of theworld as they see it, but I am optimistic for kids. They have lots of pressures but they have a great capacity for fun. I try to make music classes fun but do it in a way that provides a good learning environment. Not all students are going to make music a career any more than they will make sports a career, but one of my main goals in teaching is that children will enjoy singing and enjoy music. We use instruments such as recorders and percussion instruments to enhance the vocal program, and reinforce many concepts through the use of movement.

I have no question that the band our family organized in the '70's has helped us stay so close. Our entire family on both sides, but especially on Mom’s side, is musical, and those who don’t play or sing are very appreciative and supportive of our efforts in music. Even at funerals, we have a music session before or after the service, helping us through the grief process. Several of us play piano, guitar, bass, and drums. One of my brothers-in-law plays guitar, banjo, and violin. He has been part of the family for 15 years and in our band for 25 years, having joined us when he was 17. The love of music has been passed to the next generation, and all of my nieces and nephews sing or play.

I believe this concept of a strong family has made the church what it is for me-a place of acceptance and love. I have only been in Osceola for two years but feel there are people who really care when I walk in the door. That is a feeling we all need. In order to get started in the church, I asked for a newsletter our first week here, so I could know what the church had going on. I found a place where I would like to help and volunteered to be part of Missions. When that committee reorganized, I became part of the Worship Work Area.

I now conduct the women's choir called Celebration Singers, am in the bell ensembles, and occasionally provide special music. I am thankful for the music opportunities our church offers, and feels the music truly enhances our worship services.

I have enjoyed the fellowship and service opportunities of Miriam Circle. One of our projects is our gift bags at Christmas, which has received good feed-back from the shut-ins who have received them. We compile a list of people whom we think would appreciate being remembered, then put together and deliver gift bags that give recipients something small but useful to open each day for several weeks.. I really love our church and am happy to be part of it. Lots of good things are happening, and it will be what we make it.

Charles and I have been married for 21 years. We met through Blue Grass music because I was playing it with our family band, and he and his family were fans who attended the shows nearly every weekend. As I came to know him, I found him to be good-natured, happy, and very supportive of my music. He has put up with me for nearly 22 years now, and I appreciate him so much. He keeps our home fires burning.

Charlie and I were married in 1979. When I walked down the aisle I became an instant mother of five. Now we have 12 grandkids and four great-grandchildren. Our son Nate was born in 1985. He is an outside kid -loves to run and play; but he also loves music and plays guitar and drums. He is a freshman this year and is in the school band and jazz band. He has some kind of music turned on in his room all the time. Now, at 16, he is counting the days until he gets his drivers license! Nate is active in the ecumenical youth group CCM (Combining Christian Minds). He enjoys the fellowship and service projects, and we appreciate the leaders of both groups for their work with our young people.

We feel very blessed to be part of the Osceola United Methodist Church, and hope to do our part in making it the best it can be.