Josey, Sara M.

By Feza Kikaya

Name: Sara M. Josey
Subjects Taught: Beginning Piano, Advanced Piano, Music Technology
Education: Double major in Organ Performance and Music Education from Ohio State Univ, Masters in Liturgical Music from CUA, National Certification in Music Technology Education
Previous Jobs: middle school music teacher in Virginia, taught music in London at Girls School, Several church Jobs (choirs, handbills, nursery school music)
Came to Blair In: 1995
Hobbies: reading, playing computer solitaire, and singing
Extra-curricular activities: sponsor the Flag School with the Marching Band, Organizer for the Spring Musical

Music teacher Sara Josey is often spotted walking along Broadway corridor, greeting students and faculty and exchanging smiles. Like many other staff members, Josey is a committed teacher, as well as a wife and mother. Her friendly manner and cheerful personality tell a story unknown to many.

Josey is a native of Williamsburg in Western Maryland. She has no memories of wanting to be anything other than a teacher. She said she really always loved music. "I was a good musician, and I found I was good at teaching choirs," said Josey.

High school back in her day differed greatly from high schools today. "There was a lot more respect for teachers," she said thoughtfully. School was much more rigorous academically, she explained. There was also a lot more parental involvement in schools. Religion was also a key difference. "There was God," she said. "You could talk about religion [in school] and not get in trouble."

Josey was very active in high school. "I was outgoing [and] I did a lot of performances," she said. She also played on her school's tennis team.

Josey pursued her passion for music in college where she earned majors in both organ performance and musical education at Ohio State University. She then went on to receive her Masters in Liturgical Music from Catholic University. Josey taught in Virginia before coming to Blair in 1995.

Josey explained that the best aspect of teaching for her is "the variety of students and being with people every day." However, she is often presented with challenges because of the variety of students in a class. "How do you meet everyone at the same level?" she said.

Despite these obstacles, Josey finds her profession to be very rewarding. She said that "seeing a light bulb go on in somebody's eyes" is worth the effort of teaching. Josey is most proud of the music lab that she initially petitioned for and saw through at Blair. Numerous magazines have written articles about the lab.

Josey also has a rewarding personal life. She and her husband first met "in the parking lot in the University of Maryland outside the Fine Arts Hall." The two sang together in a Kennedy Center Performing Arts Choir. The couple has four children, three of whom are 18 and older, the youngest at Walter Johnson High School. Josey is proud of "the fine young people that they have become." She also enjoys spending time with her "kitty cats" Shadow and Tucker.

Upon retiring, Josey hopes to get caught up in her sleep, learn more music, read, and do more traveling. She and her husband are anticipating a trip to Chile to visit their daughter this fall.