It’s true. As humans, we tend to find connections in music to memories. Music can bring back memories of places, emotions, times in our life and of course, people.

If you talk about performing Christmas songs, Alex Happ is going to immediately think about his 5th grade year at Turnberry Elementary School. That was when Alex got his big break.

It wasn’t Hollywood or Broadway, but it seemed nearly as big to Alex. That was when Jack Landon, Turberry’s music teacher, cast Alex as the Mighty Moose in the school’s holiday musical production.

Alex wasn’t the biggest kid in class, but he transformed into one of the biggest deals in class. He was the big 5th grader starring in the lead role for the school’s major music theater show. He bulked up with a costume that had antlers and lots of fur. But most notable to Alex was, when he donned the costume, he most certainly was the Mighty Moose — bulging biceps and all.

“I was the smaller kid at the time and this role gave me the chance to step into a new role,” he remembered. “I was given these big muscles and it was just a really exciting and fun experience.”

It was at this point when Alex also discovered that he really liked being on stage, singing, speaking and all the people in the audience reacting. And he found he was actually pretty good at it. He’d officially been bit by the acting and singing bug.

Accepting that leading role his 5th grade year also put Alex in the perfect position to earn the presidency of his class at Turnberry. He was a leader on stage and a leader among his peers — all at the age of 10. These positions taught him how to accept responsibility and to be accountable for delivering on those responsibilities. By virtue of his new roles, he engaged a lot with adults and classmates much more often and this developed his social skills.

After that busy year in school, Alex was on the look-out for other acting roles and vocal music groups in which to showcase his talents through middle school and into high school. He really got involved in the theater at Prairie View High School where he was featured in numerous theatrical productions as a Thunder Hawk. He became the president of the school’s Thespian Society which is when he took on the role of mentor to other thespians. He advised, counseled and encouraged other seniors as they prepared for the culminating event in high school theater — their one act solo performances.

Music was also a staple in Alex’s high school activity list. He was in choir and continued to refine his vocal talents. As a senior, Alex was sure he wanted to go to college. But like many incoming freshmen in college, he just wasn’t sure about his major.

He opted to go to a small, liberal arts college up north at the University of Minnesota, Morris which boasts a rigorous, broad spectrum of academic programs. The Cougars also had a football team. The now 6-foot tall Alex made the team and took to the gridiron as their kicker.

He started college in the middle of the COVID pandemic which made his freshman year really tough with barely a football season, but a full academic load. He still needed to decide on a major.

“Initially I started college without knowing what major to pursue. I took a lot of general education courses, but I wasn’t interested in furthering my studies in any of these classes — except for my music classes.

Alex thought back to how he felt when Mr. Landon gave him the opportunity to be the Mighty Moose. He was surprised at how much faith and confidence Mr. Landon had in him — more than Alex had in himself. Being cast in that role also made Alex feel proud, inspired and lucky that someone really believed in him and his abilities. Alex wanted to be able to do that, too.

“My music classes reminded me of my love for music which I’ve had since my time at Turnberry. Mr. Landon’s music classes helped me communicate better, and to gain a better understanding of who I was at a young age. It made me realize I wanted to inspire and give students the opportunities Mr. Landon gave me through music.”

So he’s now officially a music education major with the intent to become a high school vocal music teacher. The decision was made, in large part due to how Mr. Landon respected him as a performer and as a rather unlikely leading actor who could carry a tune.

Now a sophomore in college, Alex has come a long way. He’s refined his vocal talents and become more in tune with the finer points of music theory, performance, conducting and the art of delivering effective education.

Alex is proud to be a Turnberry Elementary alumnus and credits the staff at Turnberry for helping him discover his love for music and teaching him the importance of understanding his own heart and himself.

“I believe in 27J Schools because they believe in me.”