For 26 years Ellen Kershaw has worked as a pianist in the Bellevue West music department, but Kershaw does far more than play the piano. Kershaw is also involved in several other aspects of the school including administrative work for the department. Kershaw is also involved in the classroom with students.
“I came in the fall 1998, So I’ve been employed by the Bellevue public schools and in just one job which believe it or not is unusual,” Kershaw said. “People often change buildings and stuff like that. Everything I do has to do with being a pianist, but I do all of the office administration. I just solve a lot of problems, you know, and visit with kids. It’s quite a varied job, actually. I would say probably, the actual piano playing is only about half of it.”
Some of the tasks Kershaw performs include writing letters, making proposals for funding, as well as working in the classroom playing the piano and working with students. During the time in which Kershaw has worked at Bellevue West, Advances in technology have altered the way that she works and completes tasks during her day to day work.
“I started out when I had to do recordings on an actual cassette tape player on a real piano,” Kershaw said. ‘When I made a mistake, I had to start over. Now I have this equipment that I can just create, practice, tape, and take tracks without too much difficulty.”
According to Kershaw, like any job, there are also days that can be difficult or not ideal and that there are harder tasks. But she also said that the people she works with make the experience much better.
“I work with wonderful people,” Kershaw said. “I love working with kids, I feel like that’s my calling to work with kids. Not all kids are good, and not all days with kids are good, but I still feel like that’s good. My feeling is that there are three categories of work. One is jobs, or professions and then there are callings, and that’s not a hierarchy, you can have a job and have it be your calling. You can have a person in what isn’t normally considered a top priority job, but that can be a calling because that’s what you’re asked to do in life. So I feel like working with high school kids is my calling. Even though it’s maybe not too spectacular, it’s what I do and it’s what I will do until I can’t.”
Music teacher Janelle Reetz has known Kershaw for 18 years. Reetz describes Kershaw as kind, willing to help, and non-judgmental. She also added that the work that Kershaw does for the department greatly helps her and the other music teacher Mr. Reimer.
“She does a lot of the paperwork, student absences, money collecting, just all those behind the scenes things,” Reetz said. “She started helping with the show band a few years ago, so she does a lot of arranging, fixing things that we need to fix, and those kinds of things. So just lots of pieces of the puzzle that then let us be able to teach and focus on the shows and other things that Mr. Reimer and I would be here 24/7 if we didn’t have a third person to take care of those behind the scenes.”
Reetz also said that she and Kershaw travel a lot for different events, and that traveling with Kershaw for these events is a positive experience for the both of them.
“It’s just been great having her,” Reetz siad. “I’ve had two accompanists in my career, one where I used to teach at, and Mrs. Kershaw has been here the whole time I’ve been here. So It’s been two outstanding people that I’ve been lucky to work with.”
