It feels quite fitting that my interview with Mrs. Brooks happened while “Suavemente” blasted outside the music office for Latine Heritage Month. With her elegant style and delightful disposition, Angelica Brooks, or Mrs. Brooks, blesses the Westridge campus as the new Upper School Chorus teacher. Sitting across from her, I couldn’t help but feel a wave of excitement for the future of Westridge’s Glee Club.
Ms. Epps, our very own Middle and Upper School Orchestra teacher, suggested Mrs. Brooks for the position: “It just so happens that I have many, many years of experience. So, it was a perfect fit.” In fact, she attended USC with Ms. Epps, which is where Mrs. Brooks is currently working on her doctorate in music teaching and learning.
Of course, music is far from just a job for Mrs. Brooks—it’s a way of life, a part of her lineage. Or, as she likes to put it, “It’s in my blood.”
With both her father and grandmother as church musicians, her life was enveloped by music, particularly church music such as gospel. From as young as two and a half, Mrs. Brooks has had hands-on experience with instruments, specifically the piano. For her grandmother, it was crucial that Mrs. Brooks understood her family’s history with music and told her, “This is who we are. This is who you are.”
It’s safe to say her grandmother was right, considering the multiple instruments Mrs. Brooks can play—including the piano, clarinet, and tenor saxophone. “I never met a percussion instrument I didn’t like,” she said. Not to mention the school band, jazz bands (yes, plural), churches (also plural), and conservatories she would play for: “I started playing for churches when I was 15, so, in 10th grade. I was giving piano lessons at a conservatory in DC. And while I was teaching piano lessons there, I got picked up to start playing at a church down the street. And so that one church turned into four churches by the time I was a senior.” This does not even cover the fact that she can dance and has previously taught dance styles such as hip-hop, tap-jazz, and belly dancing.
Talk about being proficient!
Regarding her teaching methods, Mrs. Brooks has a unique approach to conducting a choir. Instead of focusing on “blending” the singers’ voices, she prefers to “balance” them, emphasizing and appreciating everyone’s uniqueness whilst also creating the perfect mix of voices or, as she calls them, spices. “It’s not really about blending to sound like one voice but rather putting the perfect balance of each spice. So, you’d be paprika. You’d be onion powder. You’d be garlic powder. You’d be salt. You’d be pepper because we need you to be that. When we put it all together, that’s when it tastes delicious,” Mrs. Brooks said.
When talking with Mrs. Brooks, her enthusiasm and warmth were palpable. Her eyes, like her beaded necklace, twinkled as she told me about her class. It’s clear that she enjoys her work, but in case you don’t notice, she’ll tell you herself: “I love working with the singers, every class. They are so excited, so willing to learn. I always remind them every class we are branching out.”
