MAY 12 • 2022 | 39

S

ince fourth grade, Alan 
Posner has played the 
saxophone. The band 
director at Bloomfield Hills 
High School, who has been 
teaching for 13 years, was 
inspired by his own band direc-
tor growing up, who encouraged 
him to pick up the art of teach-
ing music.
Posner, 35, of Berkley, says 
music was a no-brainer when it 
came to his career. “I really just 
love playing,” he explains. “Both 
playing and teaching was some-
thing that came really naturally 
to me, and sharing my love and 
passion for music was important 
to me.”
As a lifelong member of 

Temple Beth El, Posner shares 
a passion for Jewish music that 
was instilled in him at an early 
age through Jewish culture and 
traditions. In addition to his day 
job at Bloomfield Hills High 
School, Posner was a founding 
member of the Kidz Klez Band 
of Michigan, directed by the late 
Cantor Stephen Dubov.
He’s also music director of 
Michigan-based klezmer band 
Klezundheit (Bless You!), which 
will be playing at the local 
Klezmer Folk-Fest on May 22 
at the Society for Humanistic 
Judaism in Farmington. Klezmer 
bands play traditional instru-
mental music of Ashkenazi Jews, 
a sound Posner enjoys.

A LIFE OF MUSIC
Raised in West Bloomfield, 
Posner is no stranger to music 
education at Bloomfield Hills 
schools. He attended its band 
program and later received 
an undergraduate degree in 
instrumental music educa-
tion from the University of 
Michigan, followed by a master’s 
degree in instrumental conduct-
ing from Oakland University.
Before his role at Bloomfield 
Hills High School, Posner spent 
three years at Suttons Bay, Mich., 
just north of Traverse City, where 
he participated in the small con-
gregation at Temple Beth El play-
ing music. After moving back 
to Metro Detroit, Posner taught 
at Berkley schools for four years 
before accepting the band direc-
tor job in Bloomfield Hills.
Now in his seventh year of 
teaching at Bloomfield Hills High 
School, Posner has become a 
jack-of-all-trades when it comes 
to music education. Although 
his primary instrument is saxo-
phone, Posner can play all wind 
instruments to what he calls 
“varying levels of success.
”
Throughout the school year, 

he teaches some 170 students at 
Bloomfield Hills High School 
who are enrolled in the band 
program, who range from fresh-
man to senior.
“I teach three different con-
cert bands here,
” Posner says. “I 
also teach jazz band outside of 
the school day.
” In addition, he 
teaches an introductory guitar 
and ukulele class, plus a music 
technology class that works with 
music on computers.

OVERCOMING THE 
CHALLENGES
With teaching such a wide vari-
ety of classes, Posner says the big-
gest challenge is simply manag-
ing time. “There’s only so much 
time in a day,
” he says, “and I’m 
trying to make sure I’m doing the 
best for all of my students.
”
Navigating the pandemic has 

A Passion 
 for Music

Meet Bloomfield Hills High School 
band director Alan Posner.

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

NEXT DOR
VOICE OF THE NEW 
JEWISH GENERATION

continued on page 41

DETAILS 
The Klezmer Folk-Fest takes 
place at 3 p.m. May 22 at 
the Society for Humanistic 
Judaism in Farmington. 
A donation of $20-$30 
is suggested. For more 
information, contact Melanie 
at mdg0906@gmail.com or 
(248) 417-6573.

Alan 
Posner

