The Heart of Teaching

For cello teacher Joe Kaiser, teaching is about being part of something bigger: the vibrant network of students, families, and the MacPhail community.
Joe Kaiser’s path to becoming a beloved cello teacher at MacPhail wasn’t a straight line. Growing up in small-town Wisconsin, he played cello in school but didn’t have the resources to get his own instrument or take private lessons. “There was no such thing as MacPhail where I grew up,” he says.
Joe set the cello aside after high school but dreamed of playing again one day. That dream turned into reality when a friend offered him a cello passed down from a retiring musician. “It was fate,” Joe remembers. “I couldn’t just let it sit in the closet.”
Joe started taking cello lessons at MacPhail and later joined the staff of Student Services. He didn’t initially consider teaching, but a summer at the Chicago Suzuki Institute sparked something in him. “Seeing teachers who could inspire kids and bring the music out of them, that was amazing. That’s what really lit the fire.”
With the support of Paul Babcock, then MacPhail’s Executive Vice President, Joe slowly transitioned from Student Services to teaching full-time. MacPhail professional development funds offset the cost of his training, and support from the community bolstered his journey. “So many people helped me out and encouraged me,” he says.
“Now, I’ve been teaching long enough to see students who started with me as three-year-olds graduate from high school,” Joe says. “I even have students come back from college to study with me over the summer.” In addition to individual students, Joe created and leads an adult cello choir. “One of the things I appreciate about MacPhail is that it’s an open space for new ideas. If you want to create a new ensemble or a new class, MacPhail will say ‘go for it.’”
Joe is beloved by students of all ages, from Jayden, 11, at Ascension, who went as Joe for a “dress up as someone who inspires you” day, to Syntyche Koumaglo, a MacPhail board member and cello student who describes Joe as “patient and flexible, an encourager and cheerleader, a great listener, and joyful!” His colleagues agree: Beth Turco, MacPhail’s Suzuki Program Director, says, “Joe is a deeply compassionate teacher. He never gives up until he discovers just the right way to reach each student, and he has an unwavering commitment to their success.”
For Joe, the heart of teaching is relationships. “It’s such a cool feeling as a teacher to have this gigantic community around me, through my students, their families and their schools. We often think about the one-on-one interaction between teacher and student, which is huge. But really, there’s this giant web of interconnection between all of the families at MacPhail,” he says. “The connections we make with students, and feeling part of something bigger — that’s what it’s all about.”