Joseph Schoen

“My mother says I was singing before I was speaking in full sentences. The first song that I ever sang was Silent Night. I was 18-months -old when I first started singing, so I was able to hear a tune and might not have the exact words correctly but I could sing the tune,” new Clayton High School music teacher Joseph Schoen said.

Music has always been an important aspect of Schoen’s life. However, he did not originally plan to have a career in music. The St. Louis native earned a degree in broadcast journalism from Webster University.

“I was aspired to sing professionally, and then when I worked for Royal Caribbean, I became a vocal director and music director for the company,” said Shoen. “But I was really young and I didn’t feel like it was right for me at the time. [I] got a job in television reporting and news reporting in Texas; it just didn’t feel right.”

Soon after returning to St. Louis to pursue music, Schoen realized he wanted to become a music teacher.

This school year will be Schoen’s 11th year teaching and first year in the Clayton School District. He is excited to help direct the musical this year, as well as coach the various choirs and teach AP music theory and piano.

“I’m sort of a nerd when it comes to music theory. I love the math of it. It’s absolutely opposite of the artistry of being a musician,” Schoen said.

Schoen’s greatest goal is to help grow the choir program at CHS.

“I want to see our choir program be as strong as the rest of the instrumental program,” Schoen said.
While he spends most of his day surrounded by choral music, he enjoys listening to a wide variety of music, including rock and pop.

“I do have a secret obsession with like, late 90s pop. So Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Destiny’s Child,” Schoen said.

He also enjoys listening to musical theatre and is excited to work with the theatre department.
“I would love [CHS] to do Ragtime and Mamma Mia… and then there’re shows that obviously, when they become available, might be interesting to see if we can put them on,” Schoen said.
Schoen is excited to help the chorus program flourish as well as help more students with their musical journeys.

“I just hope everybody has an open mind about the way that I teach,” said Shoen. “I’m pretty easily approachable, but I have a pretty high standard with regards to my expectations. I haven’t been more excited about teaching than I have this year since I started teaching 11 years ago.”