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Master Degree: Wichita State University
Bachelor Degree: East Texas State University
Orff Schelwerk Certified
PTA lifetime membership
Music scholarship - clarinet
Graduate Assistantship in Music Theory
20 years public school music teacher - 4 years band director
I am a lifelong student of music and veteran music teacher who is dedicated to bringing the love of music to others. I began playing piano and clarinet as a young child and chose music as a future career when I was in sixth grade. My bachelor’s degree, from East Texas State University, is in music education with a concentration in piano and clarinet. I received a master’s degree from Wichita State University in music literature and history as I have always had a love for classical music. I also received my Orff Certification (for Elementary music teaching approach) from SMU.
I began my teaching career as a middle and high school band director and taught beginning classes and lessons as well as concert and marching bands. When my daughters were born, I began teaching private lessons on piano and clarinet. I really enjoyed seeing how much my students would progress in private lessons and how successful they were in recitals and at piano guild contest. For the last twenty years, I have enjoyed teaching general music and choir in an elementary school in Dallas. I built a successful program from the ground up and started a choir which grew to eighty students and received yearly awards at choir contest. It was very gratifying to be the teacher, conductor and accompanist for this accomplished group. My students loved coming to music class!
With beginning students, I like to use a combination of Alfred’s Basic method books. I like the variety it gives students from fundamentals to performance tunes, sight reading and music theory. Students will progress from playing on black keys only, hands separately, to simple five key songs very quickly. We would also explore a few minutes in each lesson on games in music theory on iPad or with manipulatives so they will develop note reading skills. More advanced students will warm up with scales and exercises, play pieces that they are interested in and do a little sight reading and music theory.
I believe my overall style in teaching music comes from my love of music and desire to help others achieve their musical goals in a way that is engaging, meaningful and fun. I have always believed in adding an element of fun to lessons. My band and choir students played games, performed for younger students in surprise concerts and had karaoke parties. In private lessons, students will play duets, sightread and use the IPad games and floor keyboard to help with note reading skills. Since I have a master’s degree in music literature and history, I believe in finding great music to play as a motivation in practice.