Kent Wattleworth was born in Ann Arbor and grew up in Canton. His father was an engineer for Ford and Visteon, and his mother taught French at the elementary and middle school levels. Wattleworth earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Music Education from Hope College and studied conducting with Dr. Michael Mitchell while earning his Master of Music Degree in Choral Conducting from Oakland University.
He has taught vocal music at every level from K-12 since 1998 as well as secondary choral methods at Oakland University for two years.
Wattleworth has been teaching choir and music history in the Humanities class at Huron High School since 2017. He is the musical director for the school musicals, and he has led the Huron choirs on two international tours to Ireland and Scotland. Before teaching in Ann Arbor, he taught in the Chippewa Valley, Dearborn, and Hudsonville school districts. Throughout his career, he has prepared choirs to sing with the Macomb Symphony Orchestra, the Warren Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Opera Theatre, and the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. He has sung professionally with various churches as well as the professional chamber choir, Sounding Light.
Wattleworth has served the Michigan School Vocal Music Association (MSVMA) as district manager, festival host, festival site coordinator, and summer conference team member. He was an MSVMA honors choir director in 2016 and has been selected to be the MSVMA Middle School TTB Honors Choir Director in 2025 as well. His choirs have performed at the Michigan Music Conference, the Michigan Youth Arts Festival, and ACDA state and regional conferences. He taught and conducted at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp for five years, and currently conducts the Huron Choirs at Interlochen Fine Arts Camp each summer.
“The Huron Choir students are so fortunate to have Kent Wattleworth as their teacher,” says Robin Bailey, AAPS’ director of fine arts. “He inspires his students to reach their maximum potential and builds community and belonging in the Huron Choir program.”
Wattleworth lives in Royal Oak with his wife, Merrie, who teaches Spanish, and their three children, Rachel, Thea, and Andrew.
Why did you pursue a career in teaching?
My high school choir teacher was one of the biggest influences in my decision to become a teacher. He really encouraged my love of singing, as well as my love of community. My experiences led me to believe that people are changed better through the power of music. I chose to be a music teacher to pass that on to my students.
Why music?
I believe that performing in a music ensemble bonds people together in a way that nothing else can. The sense of community and family that I have experienced from being a part of choirs is so compelling. It includes everyone in the group working together to create something beautiful that wasn’t there before. The emotional response to the music strengthens the bond between everyone involved, and it is incredibly powerful and meaningful.
Describe an average workday.
I like to get to school early to get organized for the day. Once my classes start, it’s kind of a fun whirlwind that seems to pass by pretty quickly.
Why did you want to work for Ann Arbor Public Schools?
Ann Arbor has had a reputation for strong support of the arts and music for a long time. Before I came to Huron, I followed the success of the music groups in Ann Arbor and was excited to become a part of that tradition. I had heard about the tradition of taking the students to Interlochen Fine Arts Camp, and that really appealed to me. The potential to take students on international tours was also an amazing opportunity that I was really excited about.
What do you like about working at Huron?
There are many things I like about working at Huron. I love the students because they have such a great attitude towards learning. I also love the Huron faculty and staff. I could not ask to work with a better group of people. Finally, I love the diversity of the Huron community because I am able to learn something new about different cultures every day. It is great to have so many different perspectives all in the same room. Everyone is richer for it.
What are your best tips for classroom management?
The most important part of classroom management is developing relationships with your students. I try to make sure my students know that I care about them individually so they know they can trust me. That really helps their motivation. If they know that I care about them and they can trust me, they are more likely to commit to the success of the class, and the goal is for them to care about the success of the class as much as I do.
What’s the happiest part of your day?
I love teaching, but getting home and seeing my family is the best part of my day. They are my heart.
What do you want most for your students?
I want my students to feel a sense of love and community at Huron. I also want them to have a deep love for music as well as the skills necessary to enjoy it for the rest of their life.
What’s the best thing you’ve learned from your parents?
One of the things I learned from my dad was to accept your mistakes and learn from them. Everything is a learning opportunity. My mom has instilled in me a desire to be friendly to all people, as well as to animals.
Favorite podcasts, websites, apps:
I love a podcast called “Smartless”. I also follow college and NFL football and listen to podcasts related to that.
If you could sing like anybody in history:
I have to pick two-in a classical style it would be Luciano Pavarotti because of the uniqueness of his tone and the passion with which he sang. In more of a contemporary style, I’ve also always loved Jeff Buckely’s voice and wish I could sing the way he did for the same reasons.
Was there a teacher who had a particularly strong influence on your career? If so, what did you learn?
Dr. Michael Mitchell from Oakland University is someone who has inspired me for over 20 years. He approaches his teaching with so much love and makes music with incredible intensity. I strive to follow his example daily.
How is teaching different from the way you imagined it would be?
When I first started teaching, I didn’t realize how much control of the classroom I would eventually want to give to my students. Giving them more freedom to make decisions in the classroom gives them more ownership and ultimately helps them to learn more and become more skilled.
What advice would you give to a first-year teacher?
Take plenty of time at the beginning of the year to establish the expectations and the culture in your classroom, and take time to help students develop relationships with each other and with you.
What’s the best compliment anyone could give you?
I hope people always feel respected by me and I hope they would say that I was kind to all people.
What is the most rewarding part of teaching?
The most rewarding part of teaching choir is the relationships with students that develop over time. When the choirs go to camp at Interlochen each year, we have Huron choir alumni as the counselors who help to take care of them. Getting to spend the week with those former students along with my current students is so meaningful, and watching them work to pass on so much of what they learned to the current students is wonderful.
What do you wish everyone realized about the work of a teacher?
It is our passion and our life. Teachers care so much about their students and truly want the best for them.
How do you spend your summers?
I love to spend time with my family during the summer. We travel and go on lots of hikes. I try to go fishing a little and find other opportunities to spend time near a lake. I also love to grill outside, stay at home, and have a little slower pace of life.
What’s most exciting about your professional life right now? Your personal life?
So much of my professional life is exciting to me! I recently took the Huron choirs on a tour to Scotland. We performed in some of the most beautiful cathedrals there and saw amazing countryside. I look forward to starting the planning of our next trip in a couple of years. I’m also excited about the opportunity to conduct an honors choir in 2025 at the Michigan Music Conference.
Finally, and perhaps mostly: During the pandemic, the number of students in choir at Huron decreased, but I’m excited about how much it has been built up recently. I hope to continue its growth and want the students to thrive.
In my personal life, being at home with my wife and family is very fulfilling. I love taking walks with my wife, Merrie. She is also an amazing cook and we have fantastic meals. I have also always loved watching my children play sports, and currently, I have two kids in high school who play football and run cross country. It is so fun to watch them! I am also excited that my oldest child is beginning college at the University of Michigan this year. I am so proud of her!
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