Utica Community Schools teacher Tyler Schreiber is putting the district on an international map in a whole new way.

Schreiber, who has taught music at Schuchard Elementary for the past two years, is part of the first American brass band to take part in the Swiss Open Competition in Switzerland this Fall.

Schreiber will perform on the E flat tuba in the 35-member Five Lakes Silver band, a British style brass band that has been earning national honors at competitions across the country.

“We are the first band from North America to get invited to compete, so it is really a big deal,” he said.

His participation in the brass band reflects Schreiber's passion and love of music that he has brought to Schuchard Elementary.

“Tyler brings great energy and dedication to Schuchard,” said principal Steve Slancik. “Thanks to his hard work, our band program has never been stronger.”

The brass group, which meets each Wednesday, gives Schreiber an opportunity to network with music teachers around the state who are part of the band.

“So it gives me a huge plethora of weekly conversations," he said. "And then on top of that, playing at a musically high level allows me to understand what I need to do to accomplish it, how I achieve it, and then how to convey it to my students so that they can understand it at the basic level.”

The love of music he shares with his students dates back to fifth grade, he said. It was then that he began to see how music can convey emotions and feelings in a powerful way.

“After our concert, the second and third-graders watched the movie Up, and we talked about how they used the same melody in different parts of the movie to convey sadness, reflection, happiness, or being scared,” he said. “It's really cool to see that they're able to hear and feel music in ways that they can't quite express it but understand it.”

For more on the music of the Five Lakes Silver Band, please see the group’s YouTube page.