MUSIC OFTEN FILLS THE AIR AT BCS, thanks to Jane Foerster, our gifted band instructor. Her desire is to inspire each student to embrace music in their own individual way. “I enjoy being able to teach music in ways that will encourage students to sing and play for their Lord, and to understand and appreciate the wide variety of music in God’s world.”

Jane received her B.A. in Music, and has worked with BCS kids since 1991. “I watch them grow and mature—I get very attached to them.” She enjoys teaching beginning rhythms and pitch with the lower grades, and finds their enthusiasm a blessing. Jane also serves as a Deacon in the Fine Arts Ministry at Elmbrook Church, and is very active in choir, worship teams and drama.

Jane and her husband are part of a blended family, with a total of 4 children. She enjoys cooking, gardening, and playing the piano. Jane’s fine teaching ability and her commitment to BCS have allowed our music program to blossom in recent years into something that we take great pride in. She has also inspired and encouraged many of our students to further pursue their music outside of school time.

Mrs. Foerster’s Mission Statement:

“I am a music teacher; no, a music educator; no, a Christian music educator.
What does that mean? Inasmuch as Jesus Christ is THE most important thing/person in my life, all that I do must in some way revolve around Him.
He is the first description of who I am. Everything I do is shaped by my relationship with Him and my response to Him.

“Being a Christian music educator means that I recognize God as the supreme Creator. He, in turn, gifted man with abilities to create and re-create. For these abilities, I am thankful. Music, in my opinion, has within it, a part of God. Just as people are tainted through sin, music, too, may be flawed by the sin of the man-creator. However, there are innate aspects that reflect God, just as in man, God’s image may still be seen. Aspects include things like order, emotion, and creativity. My job is to present a variety of music that shows God’s creativity, diversity and His desire for man to express emotion. It is also my responsibility, as an educator, to help my students identify God within the music around them and discern the instances that music has been tainted and may not honor God.

“Another aspect of being a Christian music educator is to help students identify their God-given musical abilities; to help cultivate them; to help students learn to use their gifts in service to God. Service to God is not limited to “church.” Christians, by the mere fact of being Christian, take the name of Jesus with them EVERYWHERE they go. They take Jesus to a high school band practice, to a music lesson at the music store, to playing in a combo with kids in their neighborhood or being part of a worship service on Sunday morning. My job is to help students recognize that their abilities are gifts from God and due homage to Him should be given.

“My life verse is 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10. Those verses remind me that I am nothing on my own. Only through total dependence on Jesus can I be strong.

“My prayer is that my students will learn total dependence on Jesus — that their abilities; their performances; their life; must be one of reliance on God.”