His career choices have always been a toss-up between farming, which is his family’s occupation, and music. But after developing bands in middle school and high school this year, it’s confirmed his desire to teach.
“Getting in front of my classes and working with kids really solidified my decision to teach,” he says. “I enjoy seeing how each age group works, and the different levels of motivation they require. My biggest challenge is to keep them interested so I can harness all their energy into making music.”
To do that, McMahon often models Dr. Peter Haberman’s teaching style. “He always stresses that if you teach toward a higher level of musicality, students will become better musicians as they comprehend what they’re supposed to be doing.”
A music education major, McMahon puts in long hours preparing for his classes, but that’s not new to him. He grew up on a diversified grain and cattle farm where he learned how to work. “On our farm I do everything and anything,” he says. “That might be fixing fence, picking rocks, sitting in the tractor working up ground, or moving cattle to pasture.”
He sees how teaching and farming are similar in many ways. Both require diligence and become a way of life.
“Growing up on a farm taught me so many things that help me as a teacher, like good planning, using my time wisely, perseverance and working hard. The way you raise cattle or grow a crop, you don’t see the results immediately. It’s the same with teaching. But when you look back after a year or so, you’ll see you’ve come a long way.”