On any given day, you can find the beautiful sound of music filling our campus, floating out windows from Music Hall or four-part harmony coming from our Chapel as the student body participates with the hymns and Christian music they have come to know and love.
Our choral department has an amazing talent to find each student’s love of music and to fine-tune their unique sound. The sound coming from these young adults continues to impress listeners as it challenges perceptions.
How wonderful to observe students as they see their director smiling in appreciation at the end of the song, and for them to realize their own exceptional accomplishment.
Batman’s theme song echoed through the gym. A familiar melody from Pirates of the Caribbean haunted the Administration Building and Pachelbel’s Canon in D floated through Music Hall. All were strummed on the sweet strings of little ukuleles for mini concerts by Amy Hofer Vetch’s students. Hofer Vetch introduced ukuleles when COVID limited singing. 
“The ukuleles are a smash,” she said, “especially when we practiced outside and students worked at their own pace. Most students really enjoyed it.”
Hofer Vetch outfitted her high school ukulele class and middle school students with 28 ukuleles donated by Modern Woodmen of America representative Shane Vetch.
“The challenging part was getting the timing right in our ensemble,” said senior Gabe Miller. “It was great to have that relaxing class at the end of the day.”
Miller’s classmates choose the challenging songs listed above to teach their peers. Junior high students choose from 50 songs to learn chording concepts, strumming patterns, and tablature, a form of musical notation for fingering.
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Brad (Braden) grew up in Wichita, Kansas, part of a family of educators. He earned a BA in Political Science/History from Wichita State, at which point he worked as a quality assurance manager for aviation-related companies in Wichita. Discerning a call to academics, he then completed a MA in Political Science from the University of Kansas. After reading Anabaptist theology and political thought, Brad shifted his focus to theology, earning a MA and PhD from Marquette University, with a focus on Theology and Society. He went on to teach courses at the college level in theology, ethics, and politics, as well as work in academic administration, non-profit program direction, and private consultancy. He is the author of Chosen Nation: Scripture, Theopolitics, and the Project of National Identity, as well as journal articles on Christian nationalism and biblical interpretation. Brad came to FA in 2017, teaching high school Bible and Social Studies, and serving as Assistant Head of School and then Academic Dean. He began as Head of School in July, 2022. Brad is married to Elizabeth, with whom he shares three children: Benjamin (FA ’21), Madelyn, and Katelyn. He enjoys piano and arranging music, reading fiction and history, watching movies, playing strategy games, and conversation and laughter with friends. The Andersons are active at Salem Mennonite Church, southeast of Freeman.