At the elementary school level, it’s important to show students that music belongs to and is for everyone. This belief is what the music program at Flower City School No. 54 in Rochester, New York, is built on. Zachary Arenz, Instrumental and General Music Teacher, explains, “Music is a vehicle for human connection.”
Arenz, who was named 2024 New York State Teacher of the Year, structures his classroom around trust and belonging, so everyone feels seen, heard, valued and safe. “Our program is designed as a shared community where students, families, educators and partners work together to create meaningful learning experiences rooted in access, belonging and joy,” he says.
All aspects of Arenz’s curricular decision-making is rooted in student voice and choice because “when students help drive instruction, they are far more invested in learning,” he says.
This methodology has led to some of the nontraditional ensembles that Arenz has initiated at his school. “Modern band and the ukulele ensembles are some of the newest and fastest-growing ensembles because we’re offering wholly new experiences to students who did not see themselves as musicians before,” he explains.
The modern band ensemble started in 2021 with a small set of students who struggled to find success or belonging in school. “During practice, they learned to trust, take risks and hold each other accountable. By the time they performed, it was not about perfection, it was about their growth, confidence and community. Watching them stand together, proud of what they had done, reaffirmed my belief in the power of music to change lives,” Arenz says.
During the pandemic, school communities experienced profound and often unspoken grief. Flower City School No. 54 was recognized as a “grief-sensitive school” through the New York Life Foundation, which required everyone to first learn, slow down and listen, Arenz says. “We prioritized relationships, emotional safety and routines that allowed space for loss, remembrance and healing. In my classroom, music became a steadying presence, offering students a way to process emotions when words were not enough.”
This open and compassionate acknowledgement of grief helped students and staff feel supported during and after the pandemic as trust, connection and hope were rebuilt. Arenz continues to advocate for open dialogue and support throughout his program and school. He leads with care, courage and high expectations, believing that “when we work together, every student will have the opportunity to have meaningful, joyful and excellent learning experiences.”
Last summer, Arenz traveled to Iceland and Greenland through the National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship, which deepened his understanding of place, culture and resilience. This summer, he will travel to South Africa with the NEA Foundation as a 2026 Global Learning Fellow, to continue inspiring his teaching and learning journey as a global citizen. “I bring these experiences into my music classroom through storytelling, images, soundscapes and repertoire that connect students to the people and environments I encountered. By sharing the world with my students, I invite them to approach learning with curiosity and wonder,” he says.
