MAY 12 • 2022 | 41

continued from page 39

also been difficult, he explains, 
which has impacted many 
music programs nationwide. In 
addition to the challenges that 
mask-wearing poses for playing 
certain musical instruments, 
like wind instruments, teach-
ing remotely and holding vir-
tual band classes wasn’t always 
easy.
Often, teaching throughout 
COVID-19 required figuring 
things out with little notice or 
on a whim. Yet Posner confirms 
that overcoming the challenges 
was well worth the reward.
“Seeing the students’ growth 
is really rewarding for me,
” 
he says. “Getting to see them 
mature from a freshman to a 
senior and hopefully go beyond 
that and perform in their col-
lege ensemble is tremendously 
rewarding.
”
Posner’s effort and dedica-
tion haven’t gone unnoticed. In 
2020, he was named a quarter-
finalist for the Grammy Teacher 
of the Year, which honored 
some 100 or so music educators 
across the country. Grammy 
Music Educator Awards are 
a high honor offered by the 

Grammy Foundation that help 
recognize educators who have 
made a significant and lasting 
contribution to the field of 
music education.
“That was a nice honor,
” 
Posner says.
While music plays an unde-
niably major role in his life 
and his hobbies, Posner is also 
passionate about sports. He 
plays hockey in his spare time 
and enjoys watching sports with 
friends and family.
Posner also loves to travel 
and is looking forward to his 
family’s summer trip to South 
Haven, where he’ll spend time 
with his wife, Michelle, and two 
children, Asher, 5, and Owen, 3.
Michelle, who plays flute, 
performs with Alan at Temple 
Beth El’s Music Shabbat. With 
music as such an integral part 
of his personal and family life, 
Posner says music (and teach-
ing music) is a natural fit that 
he plans to pursue long-term.
“I just love teaching,
” he says. 
“I want to keep my students 
performing at a high level and 
challenging them to be their 
best and play their best.
” 

Members of 
Klezundheit

synagogue and had his own 
bar mitzvah.
As he got older, Jason 
joined a Jewish-based frater-
nity in college: AEPi. Jason 
says while he doesn’t actively 
practice the Jewish faith, he 
keeps it close to his heart. “It 
was important when Mandy 
and I were getting married 
to have a rabbi as the offi-
ciant because I wanted to 
bring some of that in,” he 
said. “But with my wife not 
being Jewish, we wanted to 
also bring in little elements 
of her Catholic faith. We 
were able to find the perfect 
balance and mix of both, 
where both sides of the fam-
ily got to learn more about 
her faith and more about 
Jewish traditions.” 
Rabbi Tamara Kolton 
married the couple. “Getting 
to introduce my wife to the 
Jewish religion means so 
much to me,” he said.
With a baby on the way, 

Jason says they decided to 
teach their child about both 
religions, “so the little one 
will get full Jewish culture.” 
Jason said he’s excited to 
be able to do some of the 
same things he did through-
out his career in this new 
chapter of his life. “I still get 
to be creative and incorpo-
rate storytelling. My focus is 
video so it’s literally the same 
thing,” he said. 
“I get to tell stories about 
the students, teachers, the 
superintendent, the educa-
tion system and highlight 
what they’re doing, but in 
essence, it’s an opportunity 
to do the same thing just in 
a different venue.” 
Jason said he’s excited to 
get to know and work with 
his new team and become 
more involved with the com-
munity. He would eventually 
like to coach lacrosse in the 
Walled Lake community. 

TOP: Jason on the sidelines coaching the 14U team for Grand 
Blanc Youth Lacrosse, where he’s also the director of Youth 
Development. ABOVE: Jason talking to one of his players on a 
snowy day while coaching the Flint Tropics Lacrosse fall ball team.