“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
-Maya Angelou
The above quote is truly how I framed my teaching over the last 16+ years. I realized early on that the way my students felt in my classroom, how they felt walking on and off stage, the relationships they formed with each other, and how they felt in my presence mattered far more than anything else I would teach them. I don’t remember every note, every song and every concept I ever learned in my K-12 music classes, but I do remember belonging, feeling loved, and working hard towards a greater common goal.
Within that framework of support and understanding, I have always provided a comprehensive, rigorous, and accessible music education for my students. Polished performances, a solid basis of music theory and history, as well as creative and fun activities. Students feel good about themselves when they are confident, knowledgable, competent, and are being challenged!
Making beautiful music with my students has always been a focus. Over the last couple of years, I discovered another passion…. creating quality educational resources! I’m a color-coding nerd at heart, and creating resources challenges me intellectually and creatively. I am thrilled to know that my resources are being used across the world in thousands of music classrooms. And making teachers’ lives easier by providing ready-made classroom solutions.
In 2022, I made the bold decision to leave the classroom. It was a heart-wrenching and difficult decision, but ultimately the right one for me and my family. I’m currently working as a Corporate Instructional Designer in addition to creating music education content. It was the right decision for my family, and I am learning so much! I am choosing a life of love and joy!
In my spare time I love to read, garden, and be creative… arts and crafts, cookie decorating, crocheting, flower arranging, and more! I enjoy weight lifting, boxing, and am a certified spin instructor. I make music for the JOY of it.
