IMBLER — Mark Emerson is embracing his next challenge in life.

The accomplished musician this fall became the K-12 music instructor in the Imbler School District. Emerson is looking to use his background in playing music and teaching private lessons to elevate the music instruction at Imbler.

“I enjoy working with all different age groups because there’s such a large spectrum,” Emerson said. “Music education is ginormous, there’s always something to learn.”

Taking on a new challenge with students, instead of audience

Emerson moved to La Grande in 2012 after living in California following his graduation from the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s degree of music in percussion and performance in 1987. In California, Emerson performed as a studio drummer and classical percussionist. He played at big-name Hollywood venues such as the Whisky a Go Go, Hollywood House of Blues and the Viper Room, and collaborated with many accomplished producers and musicians.

Emerson and his wife, Lea Emerson, an accomplished musician and teacher herself, spent 24 years in California before moving to La Grande. Since then, the couple has taught private lessons in the area, and Emerson has performed with The Wasteland Kings.

Emerson and his wife began doing college ministry at Eastern Oregon University at the K House on campus, while taking on K-8 private Christian school contracts, private lessons and substitute teaching. Emerson was open to the challenge of being a full-time music instructor and drawn by the health benefits and retirement offered at the school district.

“It became a natural fit to gravitate from the private music teaching into the public sector,” Emerson said. “It was kind of one of those things to pursue because I enjoy teaching music and it’s good for my family.”

Setting the tempo

Emerson is excited about teaching a wide age range at Imbler. With years of experience teaching all ages, he knows that different approaches have to be taken for each individual student.

“I’ve done all levels, preschool through college,” he said. “When you’re doing K through 12, you have to find the spark in the glitter with each age group and work with it, not against it, because it can be challenging.”

Covering the entire school district, he will be working with students who are picking up an instrument for the first time all the way to experienced high school musicians.

“When you’re working with younger kids, you really have to work with their strengths, and as they get older you bring more challenges in,” Emerson said. “It’s kind of an age-appropriate challenge.”

Emerson has high expectations for the older age groups, knowing that they have the capability to become strong musicians. He noted that the high school level musicians can put together pleasing musical renditions.

“With the older groups, you can reach some pretty superb level of playing for students,” he said. “That’s exciting when they present something and do it really well.”

Emerson teaches kindergarten through sixth grade in one building and operates in the Imbler music room for seventh through 12th grade classes. He said he is excited to help create new musicians out of the younger age ranges and to hone the talent of the older groups at Imbler.

“It can be really exciting to see them get really good at it,” Emerson said. “You can get a lot of satisfaction and gratification because they can be quite talented at a young age, which is really cool.”