About the Treble Tree Music Classroom

Hello and thank you for checking out my Treble Tree Music website.  I hope to share some of my successes and failures in the classroom to make it a little easier for other music teachers.

Changing lanes! 

I recently retired from my elementary music position, but as my principal said, it is just changing lanes.  I am always doing more than one thing at a time.  

While teaching I also taught privately and provided a spot for other music teachers to teach private lessons. 

Traveling around the country. 

I was born and raised in the deserts of California then moved across the country after being accepted to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York to major in VOCAL PERFORMANCE.   I also wanted to be a teacher as well but at that time, I did not pursue both programs.  (I bought my first winter coat but still froze in the New York winter.)  

After graduation, I moved to Philadelphia to sing professionally and raise a family. Ten years later, I returned to school at the University of Redlands, California to get my Master of Music and teaching credential fulfilling my dream of being a classroom music teacher.

Nothing is easy but everything is worth trying! 

As a single mom of 3 sets of twins, going back to work and school was a challenge but it made me more resilient.  This life challenge gave me a “never give up” attitude.  After getting my master's in Vocal Performance and teaching license, I taught elementary and middle school music for several years in California.  I wanted to do more in the education of music teachers, so I moved my family to Oregon to work on my Doctorate in Music Education at the University of Oregon. Go Ducks!  

I have taught at the elementary, middle, high school, and collegiate levels.  My most recent position was as an Elementary Music Specialist in Newberg, Oregon. 

I returned I am married to my best friend, Patrick and we both enjoy our dog, Sam who always makes us smile.  We also share seven grandchildren. 

I can help! 

It was a struggle in my early days of teaching to manage all the pieces and parts of teaching and classroom management.  With 7-9 class sections a day and often no passing time, I developed some ways to keep organized and minimize the time it takes to get things done.  I hope some of my ideas will help you. Check out my blog for ideas on more classroom organization, lesson planning, classroom management, and music activities.