by Katelyn Blake

Band teacher Jarrod O’Donnell had six years of teaching experience before coming to Atlantic.  His career started he says, “When I was tested in the fourth grade to play an instrument.  I had great band directors after that, and they were having fun and got me interested in doing the same.”

O’Donnell played trombone in band throughout his college career.  After graduating, he went on to teach two years at South O’Brien in northwest Iowa. He then moved to Nodaway Valley to teach there. Now he is in Atlantic working on his second teaching year.

O’Donnell teaches not only band, but also flags, beginning music theory, advanced music theory, and music history.  He says that his favorite part of teaching is that,  “It is never the same. Day after day is always different, I like that.  Sitting in a cubical you see the same things every day.”

Looking to the future, O’Donnell is excited for Southwest Iowa Honor Band.  The goal is to get at least one person from every instrument in the honor band.  There is the potential of twenty kids making it in honor band.