About Me
Hi! Nice to meet you! My name is Suzanne and I’m the music teacher who blogs and creates resources for music teachers!
I was born into a musical family and music was an important part of my life from an early age. I started singing as soon as I knew how to talk (and I talked a LOT). In school I sang in the choir and played the flute in the band. Like most kids, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be when I grew up. A ballerina? An actress? Maybe I wanted to sing! One thing I did know is that I didn’t want to work a cubicle job. The thought of being boxed into any job was seriously unappealing.
Eventually I was inspired by my high school band director. I thought about how cool it must be to see students grow over several school years (not just one) and watch them blossom as musicians and people.
I started teaching in 2014 and have worked in public schools ever since. One thing that makes me a bit different is my background in vocal AND instrumental music. I actually completed a double major in flute and voice in college. I know, I’m crazy. In any case, my experience in both areas has resulted in some amazing opportunities in my career.
I love to weave my own creativity into my lessons. During my first year of teaching, I was given a small closet with a box of broken accessory percussion instruments. That was it. I was forced to get creative and figure things out for myself. I am fortunate to have access to substantial resources at my current position but I still opt to create my own materials 99% of the time. I’m going to make a confession, I have never used a music textbook in my classroom. Having the freedom to create my own lessons is what makes me passionate about my work. My head is constantly buzzing with new ideas for my students. I eventually realized I had so many ideas I needed to write them down in a notebook so I didn’t forget them all!
In any case, my work is all about passion and creativity. Beneath it all, I just want students to find their own appreciation for music. My hope is that I can pass on exciting ideas to the teachers who come across this page and hopefully make their lessons a bit more magical too.
–Suzanne