About Me

Hello I am Mr. Andrew Yenzer! The 2025-2026 school year will be my fourth year at HMS and my fourth year teaching. I will be teaching 6th grade band, 7th/8th grade bands, high school general music, and high school bands as well as lessons and everything in between.

I am originally from Des Moines but I am not unfamiliar with small town living. I have also lived in Leon, IA which is 10 miles north of the Missouri border and similar in population size to Hartley. I currently live in Hartley with my fiance and our two cats.

I went to Iowa State University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in instrumental music education in May of 2022. My primary instrument is bass trombone and I have played in the Spencer Municipal Band, Cherokee Symphony Orchestra, in the pit orchestra for the Cherokee Theatre's production of Sound of Music, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, the ISUCF'V'MB, Jazz 2.0, Jazz One, Iowa State Symphony Orchestra, CySlides (trombone choir), brass trio chamber ensembles, as well as performing in some solo recitals. If you happened to go to one of the productions of Sound of Music by the Cherokee Community Theatre you would've seen me in the pit orchestra! I love to play trombone whenever I can but I love to teach band a lot more. A few summers ago, the music department completed training in Conversational Solfege levels 1 and 2. I am now Conversational Solfege certified as well and will be experimenting with it and our curriculum all year.

Outside of school I like to cook and eat new foods, play video games with friends, watch movies, travel, and visit with friends and family. 

I believe band and music education should be accessible for all students. If you want a place in band, I promise there is a spot for you. I will work extra hard to make sure we can make a band experience that is positive and educational for you. Communication will solve a lot of problems we may come across. If you have conflicts with schedules, how I'm teaching, or anything else, I promise quick and effective communication will be a part of the solution. 

Music education fosters creativity and expressiveness in ways that can not happen in other academic classes. My goal is that you will have opportunities to explore that and develop our skills as musicians. I hope by the end of the year our connection to music is stronger and we can continue our lives with music.