The Baldwin Wallace Conservatory is excited to spotlight Hillery (Lenz) Needham ’03 as our next outstanding alum. There is no one better to introduce her than her own husband, Clint Needham '04, the Conservatory’s Composer-in-Residence.
“Meet Hillery Needham '03—a passionate music educator who is making a big impact as Director of Orchestras at Fairview Park City Schools. For 12 years, Hillery has led a thriving orchestra program that not only teaches her students a love for the arts, but also instills valuable life lessons through the transformative power of music.
Originally from Green Bay, WI, Hillery came to Baldwin Wallace to study the piano and viola, as well as earn a degree in Music Education. Her dream? To become a music teacher. That dream has become her life’s work, and today she’s known for her dedication to teaching and inspiring young musicians.
Hillery’s ties to BW’s Music Education program are still strong, and she is dedicated to mentoring future music educators. She frequently invites BW students to observe her classes and has guided several of them through the student-teacher semester. She also lends her expertise as a conductor for the BW Middle School String Summer Camp, a role she’s proud to take on each year. Not surprisingly, many of her own Fairview Orchestra students have ended up at BW, inspired by the example she sets.
More than just a skilled educator, Hillery is a kind and generous person who lights up every room she walks into. Her warmth and support mean a lot to her friends, family, and fellow educators. She’s part of a growing network of BW alumni teachers who are all dedicated to uplifting each other and their students.
At home, Hillery’s passion for the arts carries over to her three kids—Avery, Rory, and Molly—who are fully immersed in BW’s Community Arts School programs. From camps and private lessons to the CAS Dance Company, Hillery’s children are soaking up the same creative community that has meant so much to her.
Hillery is an inspiring example of the type of graduate BW’s Conservatory produces. She’s a dedicated educator, a supportive mentor, and a bright light for everyone who knows her. Her impact on BW, Fairview Park, and beyond is something to celebrate.
-Clint Needham (Hillery’s proud husband)”
Hillery Needham
Director of Orchestras, Fairview Park City Schools
Current teaching position - I am in my twelfth year of teaching at Fairview Park City Schools. I am the Director of Orchestras and teach grades 5-12, beginning through advanced orchestra. I also have been the Kindergarten Music Teacher for ten years. I have taught Music Appreciation for grades 6-8, including music technology, history, career development, and ukulele.
Hillery speaks with deep respect, admiration, and affection for her colleagues at Fairview Park City School, highlighting the strong bond they share in their work together. Many of them are pictured with Hillery in the collage above. - On the bottom left is Jessica Atwood '06. She is chair of the history department and drill team coach, but her main job outside of school is the director of stagecrafters. It's a drama group of International Thespians. I work with her every year on the spring musical. I direct the pit orchestra each year, which I really love. She is a BW alum. The other person in the picture is the Director of Bands at Fairview, Pete Cibulskas. He has been teaching in Fairview over 30 years and he and I go way back since he was there when I student taught at Fairview with Julie Mascow in the Fall of 2002. He is the best band director I have ever worked with. I get to borrow his top players every Wednesday to run a symphony orchestra rehearsal. Each conert after marching band season, the students get to perform together - winds, brass, perrcussion, and strings. A full symphony orchestra experience is something that not every string program in Ohio has the opportunity to put together. Thanks to Mr. Cibulskas, we can make this experience happen for our students.
The picture on the top right are all BW alumni, as well. We get together after all these years. Valerie Roman '08 I met working at the summer camps in 2006-2008. Becca Barko '09 and I met through conferences and workshops. Michelle Neubauer '03 is one of my best friends from BW. We graduated together through the BME program. Michelle and Val both teach in Brunswick. Becca taught in Brunswick for many years and now teaches in Wooster.
Below is the picture of Julie Mascow. She was the Orchestra Director at Fairview Park before me and I student taught with her. This is the picture from back then.
My other two colleages are Anne (Smiraldo) Howe '03, (bellow, on the left) who is the General Music Specialist in Fairview Park Gilles Sweet Elementary School. We are so lucky we went through the BME program and BW together. Now, we get to teach togehter in the same district. She is one of the my best friends and an amazing teacher. She sets up all the kids for a successful middle school and high school experience.
Finally, Chrissy Karliak is the Director of Choirs in Fairview Park High School (bellow, on the right). Chrissy has been wonderful to work with over the years. Working with her choir students through the run of each musical has been a joy.
Last year, Hillery and her students went to New York City. Here's how she described the experience - The FHS Orchestra traveled to NYC last year and it truly did not disappoint! By far the best school trip I have ever taken with my students. We did it all! We went to Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Natural History Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, and the 9/11 Museum. We also got to see two musicals on Broadway - Spamalot and Wicked. Additionally, we went to a New York Philharmonic concert in Lincoln Center, which was really an amazing experience for my students. We did get to perform on this trip as well! We put on a concert at St. Paul the Apostle Church near Lincoln Center and Central Park. It was a very beautiful performance in such a big cathedral.
I planned the trip for about a year and a half. The students did some fundraising, but I had five students who received a grant from the SYTA Youth Foundation to attend the trip. The students are still talking about it and it truly was the trip of a lifetime for these students. The sights, sounds, and the food. It was all just amazing!
When were you first introduced to music and how? - I was first introduced to music through my mom via piano lessons at the age of five. I loved the piano! I also was exposed to a lot of music through my church. I was always singing in a choir or playing bells or playing piano prelude music. When I was in fourth grade, I started viola through the public school in De Pere, Wisconsin and really enjoyed the challenge of reading in a new clef. In fifth grade, I started playing flute in the band, singing, and accompanying in the choir, too. I was very lucky to attend a school where I was able to participate in band, orchestra, and choir all through middle school and high school. There are a lot of musicians that graduated with me or around 1999 that are still very active today. I attribute my learning and abilities to my peers from school. They were all so talented and I learned so much.
I also was a member of the Green Bay Youth Symphony for many years and I was selected to play viola with the Wisconsin All- State Orchestra my senior year.
I did start to take viola lessons at Lawrence University with Matthew Michelic when I was a sophomore. I learned so much from him and really improved my technique on viola. He just retired this year.
What made you decide to go to BW? - I decided that I wanted to be a music teacher. I taught private lessons to younger students on piano and viola all through high school and I really enjoyed it. My best friend in high school had grandparents who lived in Toledo and she told me about BW. I auditioned at BW and University of Wisconsin LaCrosse as a piano primary and viola secondary. After BW’s audition, I didn’t want to do anymore auditions because I knew I wanted to go to BW. I loved the idea that I could be certified to teach instrumental, choral and general music K-12 in Ohio. In Wisconsin, you had to choose instrumental or choral/general music. I also loved the undergraduate learning community that was small and very welcoming.
When did you graduate from BW and with what degree - I graduated in 2003 with a BME degree. I went on to graduate from Indiana University in 2008 with a MME.
What ensembles, groups, or activities did you participate in while at BW? - I was in the BW Symphony Orchestra and was principal viola for my junior and senior year. I was also a member of Mu Phi Epsilon and the Dayton C Miller Honor Society.
Favorite piece of music you learned or performed while at BW? - Where do I start? I will never forget the first concert where we performed Holst’s The Planets and I was sitting right in front of Jesse Martin on principal oboe and had Lyle Steelman, now a member of the Cleveland Orchestra, playing principal trumpet. I also remember performing a Bruckner Symphony and Sibelius Symphony No. 2. My heart is and always will be in the orchestra. I love playing viola in an orchestra and that is mainly why I switched my primary instrument from piano to viola for my last two years at BW.
Favorite music that you listen to currently?
Who was the very first person you met at BW? - The first person I met was Anita Evans who was the Conservatory Admissions Director for many years. She was so welcoming. She knew BW had a home for me and told me all about it.
Is there someone from BW that you stay in touch with now? - Yes! My great friend that I went through the music education program, Anne Howe (Smiraldo), I get to see everyday at Fairview! We even share a classroom at Gilles Sweet Elementary together! She started teaching there right after we graduated and I started a year after Clint got the Composer-in-Residence job here at BW in 2013. I also see another great friend, Michelle Neubauer. Our kids are growing up together. She also went through the music education program at BW and she now teaches at Brunswick Middle School.
Valuable lesson that you would like young teachers to know- I would like young teachers to know that being flexible can really help your sanity. There is always an ideal way to do things, to run a program, to teach a concept, but if you are flexible in the moment and keep teaching the kids in front of you, you will be the best teacher to those kids.
What was one thing about teaching that was most surprising? - You always hear how teachers teach the same thing year after year, but music teachers are different. Each grade has a different crop of students and each year, each day is different. I love each day I walk into the orchestra room at Fairview.
What is your favorite book?- My favorite book series is "Harry Potter".
What is your favorite show to binge on TV? - My favorite show to watch is "Downton Abbey" and then also "Outlander". I also love "Gilmore Girls".
What is your favorite movie? - My favorite movie is and has been since I was in 8th grade - "While You Were Sleeping".
What is your BW “family tree”? What students from your current school came to study at BW? - Oh wow. ❤️ My first student was Tonya Rogers. I was her violin and piano private teacher when I was teaching through the BW Outreach Office from 2000-2003. She then also went to BW to get her BME and now teaches orchestra in Strongsville City Schools! All three of my children had her as their orchestra teacher in middle school!
My Fairview students that went to BW are Jo Arnold on bass who is now at CCM. Alexis Facaros on violin who is an orchestra teacher, and a current sophomore music education student Edward Murton.
Favorite quote: - “Subdivide” by Maestro Dwight Oltman.
If you are a Conservatory alum, please join our ever-growing Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Performing Arts Alumni Facebook group. If you have questions, would simply like to reach out, or would like to nominate a Conservatory alum for a feature, please do not hestitate to e-mail zmelikst@bw.edu.
To check out our previous feature on Kalee Bondzio '14, choir director at Elyria High School, please click on the following link https://www.b-community.net/conservatory-alum-bio
