Chad Watson is the music teacher at Mooreville Elementary School. He has a reputation for making music fun for everyone and providing all students with opportunities to play various instruments while learning about different kinds of music. His classroom is more than just a lesson plan; it’s an entire musical experience for all ages.
Watson always wanted to play music and be a performer but realized that it can often be difficult to solely do that. He attended the University of Southern Mississippi and shared, “Several of my peers were majoring in education and minoring in performance, so they could teach and perform. This really appealed to me because it was, and is, the best of both worlds.”
With a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree from USM, Watson began his teaching career at Oak Grove Middle School in Hattiesburg. “I was hired as the Choir Director for Oak Grove Middle School in 2006. I also directed the show choir and learned so much while I was there. Eventually, I accepted a position at Oak Grove Upper Elementary School as their music teacher. Over the years, I have worked with students of all ages, and I can honestly say I love my job.”
A Tupelo native, Watson and his family moved back to north Mississippi in 2015. “We wanted to move back home and be closer to family, but I’ll always be a Southern Miss fan,” he said.
Watson spent a year with the Tupelo School District before taking the music teaching position with Mooreville Elementary School in 2016. Offering an after-school guitar club for grades 4-12, he has inspired many young Mooreville Troopers to appreciate the art of playing guitar. He gives them opportunities to perform at school programs and morning flag ceremonies.
“I have had such a great response to the guitar club. We have anywhere from 75-100 kids at any given time who gather after school one day a week to learn and play guitar. It’s really rewarding when they stick with it because those motor skills develop, and they make connections to the music and see their hard work paying off.”
“Traditional Music Education is not for everybody. Only some students will be interested in choir or band. That’s why connecting all students to the music they get in their daily lives is important. This provides a whole experience for them. Music is so big, we don’t want to limit our student’s opportunities; we want to expand them.”
Watson shared that it’s important for him to give his students opportunities that he never had access to as a child. “I bring in different instruments for my students to play and let them play them. We learn about different countries, cultures, and music styles. Each one of my students will have access to over 100 musical instruments by the time they leave elementary school.”
It’s common to hear Mooreville Elementary Students singing various songs in their school’s programs of all genres that span several eras. From “You Are My Sunshine” to “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons (with choreographed glow sticks) and everything in between, Watson does, in fact, provide an entire musical experience for his students. These experiences bring notes of joy into the halls of the Lee County elementary school.
