Mrs. Woodworth: A Discussion With A Musical Inspiration

Editor’s Note: Instead of the traditional 3rd person style of journalism, Angela decided to have this piece reflect the tone of her inspiring conversation with Mrs. Woodworth. Enjoy! 

On October 15, 2015, I interviewed Mrs. Woodworth, and she had quite the answers. For the first five minutes, I was loaded with knowledge about her and I could tell this was going to be a good interview. I started off easy by asking her name. She replied with “Laura Woodworth,” in a very friendly and amusing tone, but then we got to the serious questions.

I aske her what kind of music she enjoyed listening to, and she replied with classical music and some music from the 70s. As I kept asking questions, I found out a lot more about Mrs. Woodworth, as if we had been friends for years. For one, I learned that she is very passionate about her music and she been in many bands. As I stood there, I was amazed that she had said music was her life and the look in her eyes proved it was true.

I then asked her what she thinks this society would come to if music didn’t exist, and I was impressed by the answer she gave. Her exact words were, “I can’t imagine our world without it, it’s a part of our lives. Without music the world is just empty and flat.” I don’t know how you could get a better answer than that. I was amazed and moved by her answers. Besides her family, music is her and it’s everything she does. She truly cares about her students and she believes in them. As I asked her what came to mind when thinking about her students, she replied with “my life,” and at that part, I kinda started to tear up.

She’s more for the classical type of music, but she believes that her students should listen to both old and new songs, as it can show you a bigger picture. I found out Mrs. Woodworth has been working in Weedsport for 31 years, and to me, that is true dedication right there. Mrs. Woodworth was inspired the same way she inspires you; by teaching music. She hopes she has impacted her students lives as well. I didn’t even interview her ten minutes and I found out so much. I found out that she cares about every kid in Weedsport, and she makes you feel safe. It’s almost like you can share anything with her, and she will be there. But most of all, I found out that she’s not like most teachers who just sits there, tells you what to do, and that’s it. She is much more, and I am so happy I got to interview such an amazing teacher.

Originally,I was going to do an article on just music and how it impacted lives, but I was so inspired and moved that I changed it so it’s all about Mrs. Woodworth. I haven’t been attending Weedsport High School for very long, but I hope every teacher I meet is just as amazing and as dedicated as her.