Eric
Dunn
Who is Eric Dunn? I’ve been a husband since 1993, a father since 1999, a teacher since 1988 and a follower of Jesus Christ since childhood.
Growing up
I grew up in southwest Pennsylvania. My home life was loving and stable. Dad worked at Fisher Body as a payroll supervisor and Mom did a variety of things ranging from stay home Mom to interior decorator to waitress to buyer for a clothing store. Dad worked long hours to provide for me and my three older brothers and sister.
Every Sunday morning and night you could find us at Calvary Baptist Church in Irwin. We sat in the second row on the left hand side. Our church life was one of consistency but not one of passion. Dad sang solos occasionally on Sunday mornings and I played in a trumpet trio. Our family had the respect of the church.
We lived in the same house for the first 17 years of my life. I attended schools in the Norwin school district. Once again, this was a life of consistency. There was never even a hint of the possibility of change. We spent many Sunday evenings at my paternal grandparent’s house.
Off to college
After high school, I attended James Madison University in Virginia. This moved me about 6 hours away from home and was the first time in my life that I was away from my parents. I cried like a baby when they drove away. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education in 1988. That took me 5 years. I failed freshman english a few times. I failed a semester of music history. My academic record was not stellar but I learned how to learn while I was there. And I started to relalize how much I didn’t know.
Starting Work
When I graduated from James Madison, I vowed that I would take any job that I could find in the band directing field. In August of 1988 I started at Northampton Middle school in Machipongo, Virginia. My two years in that position was a painful learning process which both tested my resolve and molded me into the teacher that I would become.
I took a job in central Virginia in 1990 at a private christian school called Lynchburg Christian Academy (Now called Liberty Christian Academy). It was here that I began to develop my skills and work toward achieving goals that I had set. Lynchburg is also where I met my wife and where our two children were born.
After spending 10 years in Lynchburg we moved to Florida and started at The King’s Academy (TKA). TKA gave us 16 good years and a strong education for our children. In 2016 I left TKA and started at Somerset Academy Canyons and that is where I work at the time of this writing. I talk a bit about my early struggles and classroom management here.
Side gigs
2015 was a year that ushered in a great deal of change for me and my family. One of those changes was the addition of a performing group called Stryke Wynds to my responsibilities. I co-directed this group with a great friend for two years and then solo for the final year. My kids participated in the ensemble and it was while I was here that I saw the realization of some life goals.
When I stopped teaching at TKA I began working on the staff at Palm Beach Central high school marching band. Their director hired me as a brass instructor and visual tech. Once again, I learned a great deal during those 4 years. It was a unique experience for me since I was used to being the director and calling the shots. I also picked up work at John I leonard High School as well as a few marching band judging jobs.
Church
Sometime around 2017-18 I began attending LifeChurch Wellington. This afforded me opportunities to make great friends and see growth in my spiritual life. You can find me there on most Sunday mornings volunteering on the host team.
So, that’s an overview. I hope you’ll find something of value in these posts.