Mark Hildebrand

I am an AACPS: Alum | Partner

What do I want to be when I grow up? While in school, I never really had an answer for that question. I was inspired by the music programs under Alice Harper at Annapolis Junior High and Michael Svec at Annapolis Senior High. Playing trumpet in concert band and orchestra taught me about creating music as a group. Conducting the marching band put me on the other side of the equation and I learned how to pull together the talents of others.

Realizing I didn’t have the drive and discipline to become a professional musician, I studied music education in college, hoping to continue the good work of Miss Harper and Mr. Svec. But, ultimately, I ended up pursuing a career in business.

Only recently did I figure out what I wanted to be when I grow up. The simple description I use is “filmmaker” but maybe “digital storyteller” is a better description. Thanks to technology that is affordable and accessible, creating digital content is something that more and more people are doing now than ever before. And by posting it on sites like YouTube, Facebook and SnapChat, this content is freely shared. It has launched many careers in the entertainment industry!

The first major project I directed and produced was a documentary called Anthem: The Story Behind The Star-Spangled Banner. It has been aired on PBS Stations all over the country over 3,000 times. Later, we worked with the Maryland State Department of Education to create www.theanthemproject.org as a teaching tool to bring this story to 4th and 8th grade classrooms.

As a new “Guest Performer/Artist” with the Performing and Visual Arts program in Anne Arundel County Public Schools, I look forward to exploring digital storytelling as a way to combine multiple disciplines and enhance learning experiences. With input from students and teachers, we will look at ways to create fun and interesting projects using digital content and mobile technology. These projects will pull together skills like creative writing (scripts & narration), science (lighting & sound), mathematics (editing & time management), the arts (music & graphics), and social studies (history & geography). Right now, we are beginning pilot programs at Arundel and Southern High Schools. Stay tuned, because we will have lots of stories to tell!