James Young, sixth-grade musical theatre teacher at Johnson-Wabash Sixth Grade Center, was named the 2022 Missouri Teacher of the Year. Young, a graduate of the UMSL College of Education, leads an innovative musical theater program, where students learn basic music theory concepts but also how to project self-confidence and be their best selves. During our conversation we discuss how being named Teacher of the Year has changed his outlook on teaching and the challenges of teaching music during a pandemic.