Greatest Person of the Month: Vivian Arciniega-Aanenson

's Vivian Arciniega-Aanenson is no ordinary music teacher.

She teaches all students - even beginners - how to read music, play instruments and more.

Her students won a spirit award on top of their other awards in their spring competition. It was an award commending their sportsmanship.

Most of the teams they competed against had students that had been playing for three to five years. Although most of Parkside's students had only two years of experience with music, Arciniega-Aanenson was still able to teach them more than just musicianship in just a short amount of time.

“(Winning the spirit award) was the cherry on top of the whipped cream,” said Arciniega-Aanenson, who has been teaching at Parkside for the last eight years. “It’s wonderful to see students face challenges well and have a great attitude about it.”

Arciniega-Aanenson realized she wanted to be a music teacher while in high school, she said. She got an opportunity to coach upper elementary and middle school students on flute and flag team as a part of a program called Spirit of Sunnyvale. She found that she could teach younger students and learn from them.

Music was like therapy

She went to San Jose State University to get her bachelor's degree. She knows how to play every instrument at a basic level, but her main instrument is flute.

As a teenager, she said, playing the flute was like therapy because it helped her get focused after frustrating situations.

Later on she would realize, “If this makes me feel better, I want to pass this on," she said. "It’s something that students can take with them the rest of their lives into their souls.”

That attitude about teaching music has helped boost the music program at Parkside.

The school's music program is now growing after years of cutbacks in the past. The school was able to add another ensemble class this year, bringing the total number of music ensemble classes to five.

“The San Bruno community has been empowered to speak up about music more because we need to have music in the lives of our children,” Arciniega-Aanenson said. “They need the opportunity to try something different - something they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.”

Turning beginners into performers

Many say her biggest accomplishment so far is being able to teach beginning students.

She starts by putting the students in groups by instruments and tells them to just try and make sounds.

“At the beginning it’s a little bit nuts,” Arciniega-Aanenson admits.

This gives them something to do while she walks around and works with each group.

“The majority of students that start in the Parkside Music program have no idea how to read music, let alone play their instrument,” said Kathryn Marinos, technology and science teacher at Parkside. “She teaches them in a few short months to play and perform like professionals.”

The fact that Arciniega-Aanenson can teach students who have never picked up an instrument before how to play so quickly not only shows how great of a teacher she is but also how strong of a person she can be when faced with tough situations, Marinos said.

Michelle Magni, Parkside's music booster president and a parent whose kids took Arciniega-Aanenson's classes, agreed.

“For one person to teach beginning strings, beginning band, orchestra and band, she does an awesome job with the middle school kids. We all know that age isn't easy,” Magni said. “You can see the love she has for music and wants to pass it onto her (students).”

“We hope to never lose her,” Magni added.

Beyond teaching music

Explaining what motivates her the most, Arciniega-Aanenson said she just tries to put her energy in the classroom everyday. She always tries to help that one student who might be struggling to hit a high note, for example.

"And you see them get it,” she said. “You see the kid light up. I might be the only one who gets to see that.”

Arciniega-Aanenson’s day is obviously busy, but in addition to teaching full-time, she finds time to invest in her own education.

Arciniega-Aanenson is working on her educational doctorate in educational leadership. Eventually she wants to be a school administrator and a district superintendent, she said. She wants to focus on students’ growth from music and integrate more music into the school day.

“Kids can learn while they’re at play and it sticks in the brain better,” she said.

Besides music, her hobbies include snowboarding, hiking and pottery.

If a student is interested in taking music at Parkside for the next school year, music applications are available through all San Bruno schools. For fifth and sixth-graders going to sixth or seventh grade, applications are due March 15. For seventh-graders going to eighth grade, applications are due March 23.

The spring concert for the Parkside music program is at 7 p.m. May 18 in the Parkside gym. Tickets are $5 for general admission, $3 for students and seniors, and $1 for current Parkside students with ID.