Ethan Chessin is a music teacher at Camas High School, a public high school in Camas, Washington.
Now in his 15th year of teaching, he guides students in a wide range of musical subjects, including choir, songwriting and music technology. Under his leadership, the school’s choir has tripled in size, and his ensembles have shared the stage with professional musicians and acclaimed groups from across the country.
Chessin is also one of only 30 educators nationwide to receive the 2025 Music Teachers of Excellence award from the Country Music Association Foundation and was also named a finalist for the 2025 Music Educator Grammy Award.
Source: Alicia Jo Rabins, I Was a Desert: Songs of the Matriarchs, https://www.aliciajo.com/i-was-a-desert-songs-of-the-matriarchs
In this interview, Chessin emphasizes that music is not just about notes and melodies, but is also a way to engage with different cultures and perspectives. As he explains, "Music just is such a profound part of what it means to be human."
Chessin also highlighted his commitment to using music as a way to recognize and celebrate his students’ diverse backgrounds. “There are so many students at our school, as there are in so many schools around the country, whose culture is not necessarily represented in the curriculum in any other class,” he explains.
By weaving a wide range of cultures into his teaching, Chessin ensures that students who might otherwise feel unseen have the opportunity to experience something that “affirms [their] personhood and [their] connections to culture and identity.”
Chessin also discussed the value of his choir collaborating with a variety of professional music groups, from rock bands to chamber folk musicians, and performing songs that students already listen to and identify with, rather than focusing solely on traditional choral music.
Source: Alicia Jo Rabins, I Was a Desert: Songs of the Matriarchs, https://www.aliciajo.com/i-was-a-desert-songs-of-the-matriarchs
In his concluding remarks, he emphasized the importance of showing students that music is "a part of life for more than just the people who have already chosen the little box" that music is supposed to fit neatly into. In Chessin’s view, music should be a space without boundaries or barriers — a place where students can experiment, connect and discover new insights about themselves and the world around them.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
To learn more about Ethan Chessin and his inspiring approach to music education, you can read his full biography here. To explore the incredible work of his choir, be sure to check out this video of their most recent performance with musician Alicia Jo Rabins.
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Written by Brooke Ingemi, PBS News Hour Classroom's intern and senior at Amherst College, and News Hour's Vic Pasquantonio.
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