What is an inspiration?

Many will sit and ponder this question, as the answer is quite open-ended for further interpretation. An inspiration can simply be anyone or anything that influences you to be the best person you can possibly be. With that being said, the person that I idolize is my former band director, Mr. Ken Wiele.

Back in eighth grade at Mahone Middle School, I was playing the clarinet. Towards the end of the school year, each student had a little audition with Mr. Wiele so he could scope out all of the talent that would soon arrive at Indian Trail High School & Academy. For this audition, we played a couple of scales and a few excerpts from our current pieces for the upcoming concert. Even though this seems fairly simple, I was beyond nervous to perform in front of Mr. Wiele because all I wanted to do was impress him and show off my skill set. Looking back on it, I seriously had no reason to be nervous because Mr. Wiele shared an endless stream of positive remarks, words of encouragement, and high expectations for the upcoming school year. He was simply a genuine person. From this moment forward, I knew I had met someone special.

All throughout high school, I had been privileged to be under the direction of Mr. Wiele. He had lofty goals and great intentions for the Indian Trail Bands because he wanted us to be not only amazing musicians, but amazing people, too. The intense caliber of music that we crafted in Wind Ensemble was far beyond our years, as many of the pieces were composed for collegiate level musicians. A few of the uppermost compositions included Vesuvius by Frank Ticheli, An American Elegy by Frank Ticheli, Festive Overture by Dmitri Shostakovich, and Rocky Point Holiday by Ron Nelson. However, this did not cause Mr. Wiele to hesitate when selecting music for us to perform. The process of learning these pieces was sometimes tedious, but after an abundance of in-class rehearsals and spending hours on end practicing on our own, the end results were definitely worth it. Mr. Wiele never gave up on us, and he did everything in his power to make sure that these pieces were stellar by the time a concert came around. Even though there were times in which we struggled, he consistently reminded us that it was about the journey rather than the destination.

Along with the usual class periods filled with music, Mr. Wiele required us to participate in the annual Wisconsin School Music Association Solo and Ensemble. Year after year, the Indian Trail Bands continued to set incredibly high standards by achieving many district and state records. The amount of success that we had as a collective music program would not have been possible without Mr. Wiele’s dedication. It is quite apparent that music is Mr. Wiele’s passion, as he has devoted many hours to teaching his students to share the same love for music that he has.

One time in particular, Mr. Wiele encouraged me to perform a solo at the WSMA Solo and Ensemble District Competition. As a sophomore in my high school’s Wind Ensemble, this was an extremely big deal to me, especially because I wanted to show everyone that I was a talented musician. However, this was the first time I had ever played a solo outside of the concert setting. I was not sure as to how I could pull this off, mainly because I have never had an instructor for private lessons. This opportunity allowed me to work independently and achieve my own goals, and I knew that I could do it because Mr. Wiele knew that there was something special about me. His guidance while helping me learn my solo during a difficult phrase or passage meant so much to me. The fact that Mr. Wiele would sit down with me until I perfected the area of struggle showed how much he cared. Even when I was discouraged, he always knew how to cheer me up. He would always say to me, “JP, don’t worry. You’ll be fine. Just remember to trust the process and know that it is all about the journey, not the destination.” I will never forget the moment when I found out that I made it to state for the solo performance. I was ecstatic. Nonetheless, I could not have done it without Mr. Wiele’s persistent reassurance and support.

Although Mr. Wiele is a teacher, I can assure you that this man is far more than that. He is a friend. He is another father-figure. He is a life mentor. He is a support system. He is a counselor. He is the greatest person you will ever meet.

I was blessed to form an unbreakable bond with Mr. Wiele.

This incredible man has changed my life immensely since the day that I met him back in eighth grade. All throughout high school, Mr. Wiele has made a tremendous effort to show that he genuinely cares about each and every single one of his students. Outside of the classroom setting, he has allowed students to come talk to him about whatever they want, whenever they want. No matter if the information was exciting or upsetting, Mr. Wiele was always there for his students. Whether if it was his shoulder to cry on, his arms wide open for a comforting hug, or his ears listening to what you have to say, just know that you can always count on Mr. Wiele. Along with that, Mr. Wiele loved learning about our personal lives, as he enjoyed getting to know every student on a personal level. For instance, he would always ask about how my basketball games went, especially because he himself loves to play basketball. Mr. Wiele would also make the effort to ask about how our classes, family life, extracurricular activities and other things happening in our busy lives were going.

Even as a college student Mr. Wiele is still here for me. He still checks in on me every once in awhile to make sure that everything is going well, and I make sure to do the same for him. Whenever I am back home from college, I always make sure to stop by and see him in person simply because I care about him, just like he has cared about me.

The way that Mr. Wiele expresses his love by caring for others has rubbed off on me.

I always knew that he was my inspiration, but now I understand why he is my inspiration.

Mr. Wiele has inspired me, along with many others, to simply be genuine. There are many ways to show appreciation and gratitude for everything in life, something that he does on a daily basis. No matter how tough times can be, it is best to remain optimistic and carry yourself in a positive manner.

Two of the greatest words of wisdom I have received from Mr. Wiele are:

1. “Life is about the journey, not the destination.”
2. “Be kind. Work hard. Stay humble. Be grateful. Laugh a lot. Be happy for others.”

These two life lessons have impacted me a lot over the past few years, and they have shaped me into the person that I am today. Because of how strong these two phrases are, I have been living my life with them as my life mottos. I cannot even express how fortunate enough I am to have had an inspiration, like Mr. Wiele, with such a wonderful outlook on life.

Inspirations are known for inspiring others to continue inspiring, and that is exactly what Mr. Wiele has done.

All I want to do in life is continue helping others and inspiring them to be nothing less than their full potential. Sharing the life lessons that I have learned from my idol with as many people as possible would be the most rewarding thing to me.

Now it is my turn to be someone’s inspiration.