Charlotte’s Adam Kallestad Is An Exemplary Student Teacher In Every Way
Adam Kallestad says that teaching is like driving a car. You can study it and read about it, but at some point, “you really have to learn by doing.”
This semester, Adam has been student teaching alongside the band director at Mooresville High School. Since it’s fall and football season, “doing” has meant not only time on the podium in the classroom, but also evenings and weekends managing the school’s 150-member marching band, with typical workdays lasting well over 12 hours.
“The Department of Music has really prepared me well,” he says. “I hold the music education faculty in the highest esteem, and I really don’t know what I would do without their guidance. But there’s something to be said for when you’re in control.”
Adam will graduate on December 13 with a Bachelor of Music degree and a Certificate in Jazz Studies. A saxophonist from a family of professional musicians, the Boone native came to UNC Charlotte to study with saxophone professors Ben Still, who is also an alumnus of the department, and Will Campbell, whom he describes as “an important role model, teacher, and friend.”
“Adam Kallestad is an exemplary student in every way,” says Campbell, who directs the Jazz Studies program. “As an All-State classical and jazz saxophonist, he arrived at UNC Charlotte well-prepared for college. He contributed greatly to the Department of Music, both as a musician and a student leader. The combination of his innate talent and great work ethic allowed him to improve dramatically during his time here at UNC Charlotte. Additionally, he’s a wonderful person and has served as a role model for all of us!”
Adam’s musical prowess earned him the four-year MJR Jazz Scholarship, a scholarship made possible by Jay and Mirunalini Raja that supports research opportunities for jazz students. The experiences funded through that scholarship have been extraordinary, he says.
“I have had the opportunity to study with Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist Tim Armacost. I traveled to New York City in 2023 to experience live jazz music and visit historically significant sites. I went to the home of Charlie Parker, went to jazz clubs, and met jazz musicians. That was really special.”
This past May, the MJR Jazz Scholarship allowed Adam to travel to Barcelona, Spain, to study with Joan Chamorro, the director of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band. The famed youth jazz ensemble has performed in festivals across the world and has a large collection of recordings and videos.
“I have been watching them on YouTube since I started playing saxophone in sixth grade,” he says. “They are incredible musicians.”
Adam spent a week in Barcelona, observing how Chamorro “teaches these kids to be masterful musicians.” He attended rehearsals, sectionals, and private lessons and interviewed Chamorro at length. “I have about 80 pages of notes,” he says.
Throughout his time at UNC Charlotte, Adam has been a key member of the Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo, and the Wind Ensemble and says he will really miss playing in those ensembles.
“I never stopped finding them interesting over the eight semesters.”
Now, it’s time for him to take the baton and inspire young musicians as he has been inspired. The past several months at Mooresville High School have only reinforced his commitment to education, he says.
“I’ve really seen that teaching is where my heart is. That’s where I’m going to make the biggest difference in the world.”
Adam says that music changed his life and that as a teacher, he sees how it changes peoples’ lives every day.
“When we teach music, we are teaching much more than how to sing or play an instrument; we are teaching someone to express themselves artistically in such a way that they move others emotionally. This is a very powerful thing, to connect with one another through collaborative, creative output…to share one’s feelings and tell stories through beautiful sounds…to learn about and embrace art, culture, and humanity…the list goes on. When we teach music, we inspire love for life itself. If there is anything that can bring us together, I believe it is this.”