Only a genuine, friendly teacher will admit to a student that she wishes she could snuggle up with her kittens on a Friday night. And that teacher is, Miss Erica Milbourne.
The experienced orchestra director here at North Penn High School and also Penndale Middle School presents astonishing enthusiasm and devotion to her students and music every day at her job. Milbourne graduated from Temple University where she planned to major in music therapy, but she switched to violin performance, and then finally ended up graduating with her major in music education. After graduating, she worked as an elementary school music teacher in Delaware County for three years before joining the North Penn team.
“I love the students, absolutely. Every one of them is so friendly and supportive of one another. They are so fun to be around,” says Milbourne.
She explains that with the number of students, there have been so many positive changes she’s experienced since she first started teaching.
“North Penn is a huge school and the students need a chance to fit in. When orchestra students walk in the door it, becomes a little family.”
And who better to lead that little family than a woman who has been in love with music since she was eight years old? Milbourne loves that music is never the same, and even if you play the same piece, it is different every single time. For her, music is a “universal language”; one that she has always spoken.
Milbourne enjoys choosing music suitable for all levels of playing and then learning the pieces so she is able to teach it to the students.
According to Milbourne, there have been many great things music has brought to her. She says that [orchestra] is very special thing for her personally, because she has the opportunity to travel and work with various different conductors, and then bring back everything that she has learned to her class.
“It’s easy to come to work everyday to these great kids. I hope to instill all of the things that inspire me into the students and give them appreciation for music.”