LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Richard Hood was nominated by an anonymous parent of a student.

The town of La Plata, Maryland is pretty small. The opportunities for entertainment are rather limited for children who are in middle school. Throughout his many years as an educator, Mr. Hood has provided students with the skills to be wholesomely entertained by learning to play an instrument. Anyone who takes his instruction with an open heart is bound to succeed at learning how to play an instrument. Some of these students' lives have been changed by careers in music, or as musicians in the United States Armed Forces bands.

Most recently, Mr. Hood has had some illnesses befall his family. He stills finds a way to teach the students with his same humor and can-do attitude. 

The concerts that Mr. Hood is able to produce for Milton Somers Middle School are nothing short of amazing. While they show student growth and mastery, they also allow for the community to see other faculty members enjoy music. The kids are always looking forward to seeing which teachers will perform in the concerts with them. The last holiday concert was truly memorable, as he invited science teachers to perform a holiday song using nothing but bottles filled with water and spoons. He had taken time out of his very busy schedule to train these teachers to show one of the connections between science and music. He shows true leadership and collaboration on campus.

Perhaps he already knows, but the kids think of Mr. Hood as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series. He's an older, wiser, comforting presence of campus. As J.K. Rowling describes this character, it's obvious that the kids are right: "He is the epitome of goodness," and, "He knows pretty much everything."

"As a family we have been able to see what a tremendous difference his teaching has made in our son," said his nominator. "My son's trumpet has saved him from the boredom and darkness of the past nine months of the pandemic. On sad days, our son can be found in the basement, playing away. Playing the trumpet has been therapeutic for him. He does it with the hope of feeling and getting better at his instrument; and it's all because of the spark that this wizard of sorts has inspired in him. The Somers community is indebted to Mr. Hood for being a LifeChanger to our children."