MUSIC EDUCATOR

Accomplished music educator with extensive experience in piano accompaniment and instruction, early childhood music, choral music education, and general music for all levels. Excels in any setting, private or group, generating excitement for music while establishing a pathway to music literacy and building on each student’s musical aptitude. Provides the perfect combination of music and education skills for connecting with students, establishing a lifelong appreciation and pursuit of music and all arts. Curriculum building experience for all levels.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

National Teacher Trainer, Musikgarten/Music Matters, 2004-present

• Appointment by invitation for internationally acclaimed Early Childhood curriculum; travel throughout United States conducting workshops, training and certifying music educators in the Musikgarten curricula.
• Presentations of Early Childhood studies including developmental stages, learning theories, singing techniques, learning environments, and rhythm language; financial and marketing aspects of creating and maintaining Musikgarten business.
• Training includes needs of children at all levels of learning, joy and benefits of arts in the home, and detailed sequencing to produce musically literate children.
• Past presentations for National Musikgarten Teacher events include Music Education: A Counterbalance to Technological Demands Facing Our Children, and Ceremonies: Creating Harmony in the Music Classroom

Adjunct Professor of Music Education, Duquesne University, 2018-present

• Teach Group Piano to music majors
• Supervise Choral Music Education Student Teachers

Piano and Musikgarten Faculty, Center for Young Musicians, 2018-present

• Teach piano in private and group settings
• Teach Musikgarten classes
• Host and Lead on-site Musikgarten teacher training workshops 
• Assist in marketing through writing blogs and social media

Founder/teacher, Aspire Studios: Piano and Musikgarten, 2016-present

• Private piano for ages 9-99 in private, partner, or group settings
• Joyful and nurturing Musikgarten classes for birth to age 9 

Musikgarten Educator, 1996-present

• Music and movement specialist
• Trained and certified in all levels, including Music Makers at the Keyboard, a three-year group piano course for all ages.
• Member ECMMA; certified level III
• Thorough knowledge of early childhood development and learning theories
• Demonstrated skills in planning and implementing classroom procedures
• Successful implementation of Orff, Kodaly, Laban, Dalcroze, Gordon philosophies of music education

Choir Director, Pianist, Karl Road Baptist Church

• Directed all choir rehearsals, Sunday service music
• Rehearsed seasonal handbell choir
• Taught Children's Choir for special services 
• Led the music for Vacation Bible School
• Collaborated with clergy and staff regarding music for sermon series, and parish events
• Rehearsed, produced, directed special services and concerts throughout liturgical year
• Taught theory classes for newer musicians
• Accompanied vocal solos, instrumentalists, liturgy
• Fostered a creative atmosphere with staff musicians to encourage excellence in music offerings

Conductor, Columbus International Children's Choir

• Selected music for advancing choristers and for beginning choir
• Developed an early childhood music education approach for youngest choir
• Arranged music as needed, incorporating hand chimes, drums, speech ensembles, solo groups
• Created appropriate backstage activities for 80+ children
• Organized combined concert day with Cincinnati Children's Choir by designing large group activities for 100+ children ages 5 to 16

Accompanist, Whitehall-Yearling High School

• Accompanied four choirs from rehearsal through performance
• Directed sectional rehearsals
• Substituted for choir director as needed
• Worked with and accompanied singers for Solo and Ensemble performances, auditions for OMEA Honor Choir, college auditions

Music Teacher, Madison Christian School

• Teach music literacy, history, appreciation and performance to all K-6 students
• Establish a choir program for 5th and 6th grades, coordinating goals for fluent transfer to          the  7th-12th grade choral experience
• Direct and accompany 5th and 6th grade choir
• Direct and organize all details related to music within the lower school as well as community outreach events 
• Design curriculum sequence for K-6 with literacy aims aligned with Ohio music standards
• Coordinate cross-curricular planning with academic committees in accordance with requirements for school’s ACSI accreditation 
• Proficient use of classroom technologies, including Promethean Board and document camera
• Create Composer-of-the-Month Power Point presentations and interactive activities
• Creative use of Orff instruments to reinforce literacy skills, build ensembles 
• ​Ohio Certification, K-12 Music

Choral Assistant and Accompanist, Jones Middle School

• Assist Director of Choirs for over 400 6th, 7th and 8th grade choir students
• Vocal warm-ups, vocal production 
• Presentation of theory concepts within a planned pathway to music literacy
• Selection and teaching of new music 
• Concert preparation
• Sectional rehearsals 
• Accompanist for all concerts
• Assist with fall musical including selection of materials, auditions

Substitute Music Teacher, Upper Arlington City Schools

• Frequently requested by faculty.
• Capably taught all levels of music, including high school band and orchestra; middle school band, choir and general music. Taught across the curriculum, all subjects and grade levels.

• Knowledge and years of experience provided musically satisfying experiences for the students in a variety of settings, giving teachers assurance of continuing objectives. 

Faculty, The Covenant School

• Created and implemented long-term vision for K-12 music program.
• Developed syllabi for and taught 4th through 8th grade choirs.
• Adapted Musikgarten curricula for K through third grade music and movement; implemented a defined pathway to music literacy.
• Collaborated with faculty, staff and students for public assemblies and special concerts as well as cross-curricular strategies in history, art and language.
• Collaborated with architects for new theater addition.

Founder, Coordinator and Teacher, Early Childhood Music Program,
             ​The Arts Academy at Park Cities Presbyterian 

• Coordinated and taught Musikgarten classes for infants - 9 years old and their families.
• Mentored four certified teachers and oversaw eight class sections.
• Organized and led recruitment, retention, publicity, calendar, and communications with parents.
• Consultant for new studio building renovations.

 
Adjunct Faculty
Southern Methodist University Piano Pedagogy Department 
1990-1996

• Taught pre-college piano students ages 5 - 18 in private and group piano lessons.
• Supervised graduate piano pedagogy students in the preparation and execution of private and group teaching units, including lesson planning, teaching skills, repertoire selection and learning styles. Created curriculum for all levels of pre-college group piano study.
• Taught college level Keyboard Theory classes to freshman and sophomore music majors.
• Served as Early Childhood music advisor for the Kindermusik (now Musikgarten) program.
• Designed and implemented department forms including assignment sheets, graduate student teaching feedback sheets, recital procedures, lesson plans.
• Developed a standard format for coordinating end of year achievement testing in the Preparatory Program.
• Collaborated with parents through phone calls, written communication and parent-teacher conferences.

Conference Speaker

• Ohio Music Teachers’ Association, Columbus, 2008
• Ohio University School of Music, Athens, 2008
• Texas Music Teachers Association, State Convention, June 2007
• Detroit Metropolitan Musician’s League, October, 2007
• Musikgarten International Festival for teachers, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019
• Greenville, SC MTA, 2019
• NCKP, 2021

Event Coordinator 
Musikgarten National Teacher Training Workshops

      Nationally recognized early childhood music education company Musikgarten, Inc., in  cooperation with The Arts Academy, Dallas. Oversight of all conference details for national and international teachers, trainers and conferees including: accommodations,  transportation, site preparation, meals, product display, sales and inventory.

Event Coordinator 
Baldwin Project Discovery National Conference, Dallas, TX

      Internationally acclaimed keyboard manufacturer Baldwin Piano, Inc., in coordination            with Southern Methodist University. Conference focus was on the use of new technology for teaching group keyboard. Oversight of all conference details including:  accommodations, transportation, site preparation, meals, product display, and plenary    programming. Prepared students for “Piano Jam”, using state-of-the-art Baldwin  keyboards, using MIDI sequencing to create multi-faceted keyboard ensembles.


Music Director

Pleasure Guild of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Palace Theater, Columbus, Ohio

•    Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 2011
•     Suessical the Musical, 2012
•     Peter Pan, 2013 
•     Shrek the Musical, 2014
•     Willy Wonka, 2015
•     Mary Poppins, 2016

Westerville Civic Community Theater

•     Disney's Tarzan the Musical, 2018

Columbus Area

•    Appointed Music Director, Acting Up Columbus! 2011
•    Divas, Darlings and Dreams, 23-act cabaret, Music Director and Pianist, Abbey Theater, Dublin, 2011

 
EDUCATION

Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy, Southern Methodist University, 1990

Bachelor of Music Education in Choral Conducting, The Ohio State University, 1985

Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, The Ohio State University, 1984


Associations:
NCKP National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, committee member
ECMMA, Immediate Past President, Certified, Level III
Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity, life member
Pi Kappa Lambda
MTNA, current member