Can't beat the new music teachers at Carlos E. Haile Middle

With a double dose of youth, some extra energy and a slightly different approach, administrators and students say the Carlos E. Haile Middle School music program has been revamped over the past three school years and now is thriving.

The first key addition to the program has been Nohemi Perez, the 24-year-old orchestra director, who said her teaching style concentrates on the fact that most of her students won't want to pursue music as a career.

She talked about her own school days, when she dreamed of being an engineer. But after graduating from high school, she decided to pursue music as a way to make a living.

While she understands that most of those students won't follow in those footsteps, they can have music be an enjoyable part of their adult lives.

“You are teaching them (about) their humanity,” Perez said of her students. “There’s always this creative side. I'm teaching them how to be empathetic ... teaching them how to think for themselves.” 

When Perez started teaching at Haile in 2023, the orchestra had been dropped from the school for a few years. She said rebuilding the program was a fun challenge.

“It felt good to get the students excited about playing string instruments,” Perez said. “In Florida, it is a hard thing to do, because the worst things for string instruments are heat and humidity, which are rampant here.” 

The other burst of energy for the music program came in the form of DJ Harpole, the 25-year-old band director. Harpole began teaching at Haile the same year as Perez. Some of his teaching philosophy came from understanding his own school days when academics never came easily to him and he lacked motivation.

“The one thing I had in middle and high school — at least once a day — was 45 minutes where I could just play my clarinet in the band room with all my friends,” Harpole said. 

So if he can make his own music classes a fun place for students to be, then perhaps it will motivate them academically as well.

Haile Principal Irene Nikitopoulos said Perez and Harpole have transformed the music program by creating an environment where the students want to be. In watching them teach, she said she feels like a proud mom.

Perez and Harpole didn't start their first semesters at the easiest of times at the school, either. Their building was being renovated, so their teaching conditions were not ideal.. 

“They persevered and made the most of it,” Nikitopoulos said.

Photo by Madison Bierl

Harpole described his teaching style as “involved.” He said it is easy to sit in front of the class and tell the students what to do, but he said it is essential to walk around the room, be within each student's space, and provide one-on-one instruction if needed.

He said he tries to implement positive reinforcement as much as possible, as it makes a difference. 

“The nature of the class is helpful with engagement,” Harpole said. “Most students love to make sounds. Giving them the opportunity to make sounds, is helpful and it gets a lot of energy out.” 

Perez described her teaching style as “free.” She said there is organization to it, but she goes about teaching it in a certain way to appeal to her students. 

“I have to mask it so that they don't realize it's all step one, step two, step three, step four, because a lot of them don't operate that way,” Perez said.

Because this is their third year teaching at Haile, Perez and Harpole’s eighth grade students made up their first class of sixth graders. Hailey Birkin, Connor Foley and Maggie O'Reilly are among the students who have participated in both band and orchestra since the teachers' first days. 

O’Reilly said she comes from a family that's passionate about music. She has played piano since she was 5 years old. When she joined band and orchestra in sixth grade, she began to learn cello and flute as well.

"They teach us how to give constructive criticism without absolutely tearing a person apart, and they are just nice," O'Reilly said. "They make it feel like we're all best friends and we're all a family. At the end of the year when we leave school, it's like 'Dang, I don't get to play with all my friends.'"

Photo by Madison Bierl

Birkin plays viola, trombone and piano. She said band and orchestra are her favorite classes of the day, not only because she likes to play her instruments but because of her teachers. She described Harpole as “out there” and said both instructors are nice and supportive. 

 “The environment is positive, and it's like everybody's trying to push each other up to be better,” Birkin said. 

Foley plays trumpet in band and violin in orchestra.

He said that before joining band and orchestra, he didn't fully appreciate music.

“Now I'm trying to listen to those small details," Foley said as he noted that he can pick out the trumpet in the background, or a violin. 

Perez said that some students who thrive in her music class can improve in other academic areas.

“I always tell my students the importance of their math and science classes,” Perez said. “If they have success (in her class), I know they can also do a good job in those other classes. You just have to approach it with a different mindset. (Success in music class) gives them that sparkle of hope.”

Harpole said the support they have received from the Haile administration should be credited for turning the music program around.

He said the two music teachers were given an opportunity and the freedom to build the kind of program they wanted from scratch. 

“The growth in numbers, the growth in interest, that comes from this platform of making sure we have the things we need,” Harpole said.