Meet 5th-12th Grade Band Director Mindee Birnstiehl
Sioux Falls Lutheran School is pleased to welcome Mrs. Mindee Birnstiehl to the Sioux Falls Lutheran School family! She will serve as our 5th through 12th grade band director as Mrs. Melissa Miller moves into a full-time position as our 4th through 12th grade general music teacher and choir director.
As we restructure our music department, Mrs. Kristi Prouty will continue to serve as our kindergarten through 3rd grade general music teacher and music department head, Mrs. Louisa Biteler will continue to serve as our 4th through 12th grade strings and orchestra director, and Ms. Kortney Temple will continue to serve as our kindergarten through 3rd grade strings and preschool music teacher.
With an undergraduate degree in music education from Augustana University, a masters of music education from USD, and 15 years of experience in education, Mrs. Birnstiehl comes well equipped to continue promoting excellence in our instrumental music program at SFLS. In her most recent position as Director of Bands for grades 5-12 in Parker, SD, she doubled the number of students in the high school band over the last four years.
She also serves as the current Director of Music Ministry at Memorial Lutheran Church, so she is already a familiar face to many of our staff, students, and families. In her cover letter, Mindee shared, “I have found my work at Memorial to be very fulfilling, and I am looking forward to the possibility of serving God in a bigger way through working with students in a Christian school setting.”
Check out the Q&A below to learn more about Mrs. Birnstiehl and her passion for music education.
Tell me a bit about yourself and your family.
My husband, Ken, and I have been empty nesters for four years now! We have eight children and five grandchildren. They live in various locations across the US, which gives us an opportunity to travel. I am heading into my sixteenth year of teaching music. Before pursuing my music education degree, I had earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
How did you decide to pursue a career in music education?
When starting a family, I decided to be a stay-at-home mom. During those years, I taught piano lessons out of my home. I was always very active as a musician in my church as well. I realized what a passion I had for music and decided at that point that teaching music is what I was called to do.
Tell me a bit about your teaching style.
My classroom would be characterized as an informal setting where the sense of “family” is encouraged. My goal is to develop a relationship with each student. I like to have fun. Music is a gift from God and should be enjoyed.
When my students graduate from high school, I hope they have discovered something about themselves, learned something about life besides the musical content I teach, and have several great memories from this “crazy old woman.”
What do you enjoy most about working with young musicians?
I love working with students when they first start band, and then seeing them grow in musicianship and confidence all the way through high school.
What excites you most about integrating your faith with your passion for music education at SFLS?
It excites me to be working in a private school for the first time in my life. I have never been able to freely share my faith with my students, so I am looking forward to being able to do that on a regular basis.
Favorite Bible verse:
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” –Jeremiah 29:11
About Sioux Falls Lutheran School
At Sioux Falls Lutheran School, our mission is to develop capable, Christian servant-leaders in a complex world who are World Ready and Faith Secure. We are passionate about giving our students the tools they need to be successful academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. We strive to accomplish this goal by maintaining high academic standards, employing excellent teachers, and upholding a Christian worldview drawn from Scripture. Ultimately, we are committed to partnering with parents and the church to raise lifelong learners who use their gifts and the fruits of the Spirit, in faith, to touch a troubled world with God’s grace.