“I think that it’s important for kids to find a space where they can express themselves and see themselves thrive,” said Asia Charles-Simms, Solar Preparatory School for Girls orchestra teacher. Photo courtesy of Dallas ISD.
Submitted story courtesy of Dallas ISD with light edits:
At Solar Preparatory School for Girls on Henderson Avenue, the orchestra classroom is a vast space lined with basses, cellos and stringed instruments.
In the middle of the classroom sit rows of chairs curved toward a podium, where Asia Charles-Simms, the orchestra teacher, can often be found standing front and center, conducting students. Most importantly, she stands as an example of what it means to be dedicated to excellence in the arts.
As Charles-Simms, a music educator and violinist, steps into this new school year, she carries with her the fulfillment and gratitude of last year’s greatest moments while looking ahead to continue empowering young girls through music. While the year felt like what Charles-Simms described as an exciting whirlwind, it ended with her celebrating one of her greatest accomplishments thus far as an educator: being named Dallas ISD’s Choice/Magnet Teacher of the Year.
When reflecting on the parts of her journey that brought her to today, Charles-Simms remembers the many auditions, competitions and private lessons that did not always go the way she expected.
“I quickly learned that failure is an option, but it’s not the only option,” she said. “Over the years, I’ve thrown myself into every audition I could find, and there were a lot of times where it didn’t go well. But I didn’t let it stop me. I have failed many times, and I just tried again the next year and then tried again.”
That lesson in perseverance is one Charles-Simms now shares with her students as she prepares them to pursue excellence as young musicians. It has helped lead her students to UIL competitions of their own, as well as successful auditions and acceptances into Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.
Asia Charles-Simms conducts her students at Solar Preparatory School for Girls. Photo courtesy of Dallas ISD.
Charles-Simms began learning the violin at age 3, at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. Her passion for music education was later inspired by her high school master teacher, Sonya Foster.
“I learned that even though you may be extremely talented at your instrument, you can lead with kindness and compassion,” Charles-Simms said. “Many violinists are taught to seek perfection, but I had an amazing teacher who cared about me as a person, and as a musician. Seeing her do both made me realize I could do that, especially being someone who has empathy.”
Born in Brooklyn and raised in Georgia, Charles-Simms attended college at the University of North Texas, where she continued to study music. As a violinist with experience playing multiple string instruments, she now uses her knowledge to prepare her students to be the best they can be.
Charles-Simms believes music is a bridge connecting language barriers and transcending cultures.
“It’s so fun to be able to play music with anyone around you regardless of what you look like,” she said. “You don’t need to be able to just speak English to read the notes on the page.”
Charles-Simms aims to teach her students what it means to become well-rounded people and how to carry themselves through life. Through her work, she shows them that excellence is something to both embody and pass on, and that pursuing the arts can become a lifelong journey filled with joy.
“The fine arts are so vital to what every core teacher in this building does,” Charles-Simms said. “The arts help students learn, and they make them more empathetic about the world around them. I think that it’s important for kids to find a space where they can express themselves and see themselves thrive.”
