Martha Siegel '72: A Lifetime Love of Music
Martha Siegel '72 taught cello at the United Nations International School for fifty years. She shared how her Bennington education and Field Work Term experiences inspired a lifelong passion for teaching music.
Tell us about your current career—where are you working, and in what position?
I taught cello at the United Nations International School from 1973 to 2023. (Yes, for fifty years!) I still teach at my home studio in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Does your current job relate to your Bennington education?
It's absolutely related! I taught cello to children of faculty members while I was a student at Bennington. I discovered how much I enjoyed it and felt confident in my ability.
How did your Field Work Term experiences connect to or inspire your current career path?
They were one-hundred percent connected. One year, I taught cello at the Riverdale School of Music, and another year, I taught at the Columbia Grammar School in New York City.
When I graduated Bennington in 1972, I spent a year studying in France, then I returned to New York City. By then, the woman who hired me at the Columbia Grammar School had become the chair of the Music Department at the United Nations International School, so she hired me to teach there. The rest is history!
What are some of your proudest professional achievements and/or current goals?
I'm 74 years old, and I'm still loving teaching cello and chamber music. I get my students to play together a la George Finckel's cello studio. Each year I do a "gathering" instead of a "recital" because I find the word "recital" too formal and scary. "Gathering" makes my students feel more relaxed and like sharing. No competition at all! I'll continue to do this until I can't.
Do you have any career advice to share with current Bennington students?
Make sure your Field Work Term jobs or projects really reflect what you think you might want to do professionally. That effort will give you a "shoe-in" and a chance to find out if your wants are really accurate.