2015 JMU Valedictorian Shares Memories, Recipe for Success

“Keep working hard, but never forget to enjoy what you’re doing,” was Anthony Poehailos’ take-home message at the College of Visual and Performing Arts Commencement Ceremony this past May. Poehailos, who majored in music education while at JMU, graduated at the top of his class and was also the “Outstanding Graduating Student” in the School of Music for 2015.

According to Poehailos, having fun with your life’s work is particularly important for artists, who “tend to get burned out from trying to achieve perfection.” While Poehailos had a nearly perfect G.P.A., he doesn’t equate his success to turning in “perfect” homework, but rather to getting enough rest. “It is important to get your homework done, but I always made sure to get a good night’s sleep.”

Poehailos’ discipline and effective time management skills permitted him to participate in a number of music activities during his time at JMU. He served for four years on both the Marching Royal Dukes (MRD) and the Wind Symphony. During his time serving, he acted as a leader for the clarinet section for the MRD and served a semester as a principal clarinetist for the Wind Symphony. He was also a member of the Symphony Orchestra for two-and-a-half years. He also participated in the Symphonic Band and in a woodwind quintet with friends.  

Poehailos says that his “My favorite moments were those where we went outside of JMU and got to show audiences what we in the School of Music and at the university could do.” Some of those highlights include marching with the MRDs in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade ® in 2013, performing Carmina Burana with the Symphony Orchestra at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington D.C. and performing in the New Year’s Parade in Rome in 2015. “It was humbling and wonderful to be a part of bringing JMU to national and international audiences.”

In addition to performing and studying, Poehailos was involved in the JMU Catholic Campus Ministry and was also a member of the Kappa Kappa Psi band fraternity, where he had the opportunity to “be involved with music in a service-oriented realm.”  Poehailos helped to set up for the performances at football games and for the annual Pops Concert during JMU Family Weekend at the Convocation Center. It was important for Poehailos to “give back to the music community and to JMU at large.”

Poehailos credits his success to faculty member and director of the MRDs, Scott Rikkers, (along with Dr. Janice L. Minor and Dr. Stephen Bolstad), as someone who most closely influenced his views on music and music education. “We’re focused not just on making students better musicians, but making them better people,” shares Poehailos.

Giving back through teaching—either in the public school system or as a private instructor—is on Poehailos’ career radar. “I want to be able to pass on music to the next generation and to help them grow as individuals through music.” Before returning to his music education roots for full-time employment, however, Poehailos will head to Penn State in the fall to pursue a master’s degree in music performance.