Teachers

Clarice Auluck-Wilson, Center Director and Teacher, has a Ph.D. in Community Development from the University of Minnesota and sees Music Together as a perfect vehicle for building strong families and communities. She thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to sing and dance with others during Music Together classes and boasts a very high “S.Q.” or “Silliness Quotient” (a very important attribute for a Music Together teacher).

Clarice lived in India for several years while doing research for her Ph.D. There, she met her husband who is a homeopath, and they have a 15-year old daughter, Kevalin, with whom Clarice takes ballet and yoga classes and they also train together with kettle bells (nothing musical here--these are weights with an interesting name).

Clarice has been teaching violin in her own studio, Stillwater Suzuki Strings, for many years. She is currently rehearsing for her role as Sister Amnesia in the Stillwater Community Theater’s production of Nunsense (poster). This has proven to be a great place for Clarice to excercise her SQ. She has achieved a “Level One Certification” from Music Together no small achievement.

Linda Brasaemle has has a passion for family, music and fitness. While she takes all three very seriously, her 11 and 14-year old daughters describe her as “just plain silly”, and the joy her silliness generates in class is infectious. Families who have taken classes with Linda have described their time with her as “pure delight”.

Linda played in bands, orchestras and jazz groups throughout her high school and college years and discovered the joy of singing later when she began participating in vocal ensembles. Linda has a BA in Fitness and is a Red Cross instructor, working for the YMCA. She has also pursued further education through Music Together and attained both “Level 1 Certification” and “Level 2 Certification”, becoming one of a very select group of highly trained Music Together teachers honored for excellence in articulation of program philosophy, assessment of children's music development and teaching mastery.

Linda has also been selected by the national-level Music Together organization to be one of it's representatives at national-level early childhood and music education conferences.

Freda Caldwel was born and raised in Northern Ireland. She remembers music playing a significant role in her childhood, singing at home and in church. If you want a special treat, ask Freda to sing one of the wonderful old Irish folks songs such as “Molly Molone”, “When Irish Eyes are Smiling” or “Mountains of Mourne”, and you’ll hear her clear, beautiful voice at its best. Freda says that these songs make her remember the sing-alongs when she was growing up back home.

She attended Queens University in Belfast where she received her B.A. with Honors in Psychology and Sociology and her specialization was Early Childhood Development. She came to the United States as a nanny and she decided to stay. She has lived in Washington D.C., New York and California and we are delighted that she’s settled in Minnesota.

Freda has a very international family. Her husband, Gregg, is from South Africa and if you want to hear a great story, ask Freda the details of how they met! The short version is that she typed an e-mail address in wrong and the e-mail ended up gong to Gregg by mistake--in South Africa! They now have three children, Joshua (6), Ella (4) and Liam (6 months). They maintain their connections with their families back home by visiting Ireland and South Africa every 2-3 years.

Freda is a devoted Music Together mother, which is how she first discovered our program. In Freda’s words: I was attracted to Music Together because I love to sing to my own children and I wanted to learn new songs and ensure that I made time each week to dance and sing with my children without any interruptions. Often, I would begin to sing and dance with them at home and then the phone would ring or the doorbell or the dog would need to go out. Being in class each week gives us the chance to focus on the music.”

I also love the variety of music in the Music Together program with melodies from my own country as well as my husband’s and I enjoy learning new American folk songs as well as having the opportunity to learn Spanish ones too—I just love the huge global variety of music.”

I value Music Together because it has brought us closer as a family. My children sing the songs they have learned ages ago in Music Together to our brand new baby. We have family sing-alongs (especially in the winter) where we play all kinds of music (from 80s disco, to classic to opera to Music Together favorites) and we all sing and dance and get the chance to be silly and have fun together. For a recent road trip, we made a CD of all of our favorite songs to listen to and my husband put some Music Together songs on that were his favorites—purely for him. My baby Liam is constantly sung to by everyone in the family and he gurgles happily or coos to the music.

Paula Emmons: I have been surrounded by music for long as I can remember. My great grandparents both played the piano and we had Sunday sing alongs where the whole family joined in. In high school, I sang in the choir and in the musicals The Music Man, Oklahoma and The Boy Friend. I was also in the marching band and played the tuba. Yes, I played the big sixty-five pound tuba and marched at the same time!!! I even sang to my husband, Brett, at our wedding sixteen years ago, so you get the picture: music is a big part of who I am.

I love working with young children and was an assistant teacher for Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) in the Minneapolis school system for fourteen years. I spent much of that time working with teen parents and their little ones, teaching the basics of good parenting.

During this same time, I continued to teach various craft classes for the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Department, something I’ve done since I was fifteen! When my son, Easton, was born nine years ago, I developed a series of early childhood music classes for the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Department and I’ve been teaching music classes for this age group for parks and rec. ever since.

I am delighted to be able to teach Music Together, combining my love of music and young children and their families with a curriculum that is backed by twenty years of solid research. An added bonus is that Music Together is a load of fun to teach! I look forward to meeting you and hope that we will be able to make music together.

Renata Fox: Greetings! I am from Brazil and I live in Hugo with my wonderful husband, Paul, where I serve happily as an early childhood educator. Working with music and with children are two of my greatest passions. I discovered a love for children when I had the privilege of spending three years in Moscow, Russia, working with children in orphanages and hospitals. My current work with young children also brings so much happiness to my life.

I attribute my love for music to the fact that the home in which I was raised was always full of music. I grew up singing in choirs and musical groups in church and in school. I also sang often with my father, an avid lover of music. This was always special because we did it together and we had fun while doing it. This is one of the reasons why I believe that there is no better combination than children, parents and music!

It is no surprise that I instantly fell in love with the vision of Music Together to create a space where parents and children can collectively discover their musical talents and abilities while simultaneously strengthening the miraculous parent-child bond. I believe that music can be a powerful, positive force in anyone's life and am honored to be able to bring it to those in my community!

Amanda Hand is certified as a Montessori teacher and has been singing for as long as she can remember. Though her father was a professional musician and frequently performed on A Prairie Home Companion, Amanda says that her love of singing came from her mother who made song a priority in their home. Amanda grew up steeped in the arts, attending the Children's Theater School, performing in professional and school theater, and taking ballet and modern dance classes.

A person of many skills and interests, Amanda has taught infants through kindergartners, run a YWCA after school program for girls, tutored ESL, GED and adult literacy, taught Danish (and lived in Denmark for a year and teaches at Concorida Language Village’s Danish Camp each August),worked on farms in Ireland and fought forest fires for the DNR.

These days, in addition to being a Music Together teacher, Amanda is a singer/song writer, a yoga instructor and the mother of two children, ages 4 and 7. In addition to her Montessori training, Amanda has a B.A. in International Studies with an emphasis on sustainable agriculture and agricultural policy.

Last summer, she completed her training for her “Level One Certification” from the national-level Music Together organization which is quite an honor.

Tibbe Luell has had over 20 years of dance training and has taught dance for the past 17 years. She is the owner of Valley Dance and Fitness, the studio where Music Together classes are held in Stillwater and in Osceola. Drawn by the irresistible music and the wonderful energy of our participants that she witnessed during the first session of Music Together at her Stillwater studio, Tibbe decided to take the Music Together teacher training herself. She has been enjoying the music and the families ever since. She sees Music Together as a great beginning in the arts, an excellent foundation for future training in dance, instrumental and vocal music, and all other creative endeavors.

Heather Monthony: I've always loved music and my earliest musical memories are of my mother singing lullabies to me. My own singing was mostly done in my parents' living room and in church pews (both with gusto!).

I started playing trumpet in elementary school and never put it down. In Junior High, I was in a “before school” German "oom-pah" band in addition to the concert band. In high school, I was in every band that existed—jazz band, pep band, marching band, concert band. I also participated in a number of musicals. I then went off to St. Olaf College and spent four wonderful years in the St. Olaf Band where in addition to playing, we were required to sing several songs at every concert.

Since then, I've played with the Minnesota State Band and currently, I play trumpet and do a little singing with a German band, The Bavarian Musikmeisters. Whenever we perform, I wear the entire German outfit, complete with a dirndl skirt, braids and clunky shoes! I also play the cornet with the Lake Wobegon® Brass Band.

I've worked with children in a variety of settings including as a gymnastics coach and as a naturalist. I have two children, a 4-year-old girl and a 9-month-old boy. Both of them love music and dancing! I discovered Music Together when my daughter was one-and-a-half. I love the variety of music and my daughter loves to “practice" the new music in our living room (with gusto, of course!).

Kelly Olsen holds a B.S. in Occupational Therapy and worked for several years in pediatrics before switching careers and turning to Early Childhood Education. Kelly had never heard of Music Together until she received a flyer in the mail for a free demonstration class. The demo class led to registering for a session and after the very first class, Kelly decided this was the program for her and she registered for the teacher training! So, only six after starting the class with her children, she completed the teacher training course. Kelly says: ”I connected with the Music Together philosophy right away because it closely mirrors my educational philosophy – that all children have the potential to learn given developmentally appropriate opportunities and good role models.” Kelly has three young sons at home who willingly volunteer to try out her song ideas before she teaches a class, particularly if drums are involved.

Tara Sayers: Hello! I currently reside in Woodbury with my husband, my two wonderful children, and one beautiful, psychotic dog rescued from the humane society. (If anyone would like to have a dog, up-to-date shots and some free food, let me know!)

Born into a family of musicians, I crawled, walked, slept, and ate music. My day care days were spent with a phenomenal musician who taught all lessons through music. My day care group toured the cities performing for festivals, ball games, nursing homes and other venues, but my favorite opportunity was soloing on a children's record my teacher wrote and recorded. So, I know the value of early childhood music education from personal experience.

Growing up, I studied piano for 15 years, clarinet for 10 and took dance lessons for 13 years. Music and dance have always had a strong presence in my life. Throughout my high school years, I was involved in community orchestra, band, choir, dance, and theater as well as participating in school theater, madrigal singers, band, choir, orchestra, All-State Band, All-State Choir, Dixieland, jazz, and our family band.

All of this wonderful experience led me to study music at St. Olaf College on a clarinet performance scholarship. I'm not one to be all study and no play, so my budding clarinet career was cut short with one broom-ball stick to the mouth. (Ouch!) That emergency room visit resulted in an abrupt change of plans and my graduation from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in speech and communications with a minor in mass communications from the School of Journalism.

After graduation, I found a job niche that I loved in pharmaceutical sales. Once I had my first son, I became a stay-at-home mom. I learned about Music Together by signing up for a sample class in Woodbury with my eldest son. I saw the immediate reaction to the class and the interest in going back. We signed up for the next session and have been taking classes ever since. Both of my sons absolutely love the experience Music Together has provided, and have benefited greatly from it. I am thrilled to be able to teach in this wonderful program.

Cathi Smits has a degree in medical lab technology but feels her true calling is teaching Music Together. Two years ago, Cathi and her family moved to Hudson, WI, from Massachusetts where she taught Music Together classes at the Pakachoag Music School for five years while home schooling her four children. Originally from Wisconsin, Cathi is happy to be back in the midwest and is delighted to be sharing the Music Together program with area families.

Paula Wilson: Paula Paula Wilson was born into a musical family. As part of the Klemp Family Singers, she began singing and performing with her seven siblings and her parents when she was just five years old. She and her family recorded three record albums, performing throughout the Twin Cities and touring each summer in a Partridge Family-style bus. Then, she began studying the flute and piano in grade school, two instruments she has played ever since.

When Paula’s daughter, Audrey, was born, Paula wanted to give her the same wonderful beginning in music and knew she’d found just the right program when she discovered Music Together. Paula now brings both Audrey and her son, Fletcher, to Music Together classes.

Paula is a graduate of Augsburg College with a double major in Theater and Broadcast Communications and she continues her acting career by doing television commercials locally. In her most recent TV commercial, Paula is part of a choir that is precariously perched in a tiny boat, singing hallelujah when a fish bites!

Paula is eager to share Music Together with others, to help them discover the spontaneity and joy of making music in a circle of family and friends. Paula earned her “Level One Certification” this summer, receiving high praise for her teaching from Dr. Lili Levinowitz, one of the creators of Music Together.

Heather Zappetta: I have been involved with music my whole life. I have loved to sing as far back as I can remember and have sung in choirs, musicals and church for years and years. I played the clarinet as my primary instrument from grade school through college and played piano for that same period as my secondary instrument.

I’m married and we have two boys, Azariah who is two and and Nehemiah who is one. I adore my own children (of course) and also love children who are not my own which is one of the big reasons that I pursued a music education degree and became an elementary school music teacher. I currently teach in the New Richmond School District and this will be my fourth year there teaching sixth grade band and elementary general music.

I am very excited to teach Music together this year. I just happen to get a flyer about the Music Together teacher training in my school mailbox and decided to check it out and I am so happy that I did! I love it and so do my children. When I'm not teaching, I spend all the time that I can outside with my family. We are avid bikers, walkers, campers, rock climbers and boaters and we thoroughly enjoy pursuing these activities together as a family.



Teachers
	Our Music Together in the Valley teachers are fun-loving, multitalented individuals who have widely varied backgrounds in music, dance, theater and education. Though they have come to Music Together through different routes, they have all chosen to teach it because they love children and they love to sing. All of the teachers who are listed below have completed the training required by the Center for Music and Young Children® to become a Registered Music Together® Teacher.
		Clarice Auluck-Wilson, Center Director and Teacher, has a Ph.D. in Community Development from the University of Minnesota and sees Music Together as a perfect vehicle for building strong families and communities. She thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to sing and dance with others during Music Together classes and boasts a very high “S.Q.” or “Silliness Quotient” (a very important attribute for a Music Together teacher). Clarice lived in India for several years while doing research for her Ph.D. There, she met her husband who is a homeopath, and they have a 15-year old daughter, Kevalin, with whom Clarice takes ballet and yoga classes and they also train together with kettle bells (nothing musical here--these are weights with an interesting name). Clarice has been teaching violin in her own studio, Stillwater Suzuki Strings, for many years. She is currently rehearsing for her role as Sister Amnesia in the Stillwater Community Theater’s production of Nunsense (poster). This has proven to be a great place for Clarice to excercise her SQ. She has achieved a “Level One Certification” from Music Together no small achievement. Linda Brasaemle has has a passion for family, music and fitness. While she takes all three very seriously, her 11 and 14-year old daughters describe her as “just plain silly”, and the joy her silliness generates in class is infectious. Families who have taken classes with Linda have described their time with her as “pure delight”. Linda played in bands, orchestras and jazz groups throughout her high school and college years and discovered the joy of singing later when she began participating in vocal ensembles. Linda has a BA in Fitness and is a Red Cross instructor, working for the YMCA. She has also pursued further education through Music Together and attained both “Level 1 Certification” and “Level 2 Certification”, becoming one of a very select group of highly trained Music Together teachers honored for excellence in articulation of program philosophy, assessment of children's music development and teaching mastery. Linda has also been selected by the national-level Music Together organization to be one of it's representatives at national-level early childhood and music education conferences. Freda Caldwel was born and raised in Northern Ireland. She remembers music playing a significant role in her childhood, singing at home and in church. If you want a special treat, ask Freda to sing one of the wonderful old Irish folks songs such as “Molly Molone”, “When Irish Eyes are Smiling” or “Mountains of Mourne”, and you’ll hear her clear, beautiful voice at its best. Freda says that these songs make her remember the sing-alongs when she was growing up back home. She attended Queens University in Belfast where she received her B.A. with Honors in Psychology and Sociology and her specialization was Early Childhood Development. She came to the United States as a nanny and she decided to stay. She has lived in Washington D.C., New York and California and we are delighted that she’s settled in Minnesota. Freda has a very international family. Her husband, Gregg, is from South Africa and if you want to hear a great story, ask Freda the details of how they met! The short version is that she typed an e-mail address in wrong and the e-mail ended up gong to Gregg by mistake--in South Africa! They now have three children, Joshua (6), Ella (4) and Liam (6 months). They maintain their connections with their families back home by visiting Ireland and South Africa every 2-3 years. Freda is a devoted Music Together mother, which is how she first discovered our program. In Freda’s words: I was attracted to Music Together because I love to sing to my own children and I wanted to learn new songs and ensure that I made time each week to dance and sing with my children without any interruptions. Often, I would begin to sing and dance with them at home and then the phone would ring or the doorbell or the dog would need to go out. Being in class each week gives us the chance to focus on the music.” I also love the variety of music in the Music Together program with melodies from my own country as well as my husband’s and I enjoy learning new American folk songs as well as having the opportunity to learn Spanish ones too—I just love the huge global variety of music.” I value Music Together because it has brought us closer as a family. My children sing the songs they have learned ages ago in Music Together to our brand new baby. We have family sing-alongs (especially in the winter) where we play all kinds of music (from 80s disco, to classic to opera to Music Together favorites) and we all sing and dance and get the chance to be silly and have fun together. For a recent road trip, we made a CD of all of our favorite songs to listen to and my husband put some Music Together songs on that were his favorites—purely for him. My baby Liam is constantly sung to by everyone in the family and he gurgles happily or coos to the music. Paula Emmons: I have been surrounded by music for long as I can remember. My great grandparents both played the piano and we had Sunday sing alongs where the whole family joined in. In high school, I sang in the choir and in the musicals The Music Man, Oklahoma and The Boy Friend. I was also in the marching band and played the tuba. Yes, I played the big sixty-five pound tuba and marched at the same time!!! I even sang to my husband, Brett, at our wedding sixteen years ago, so you get the picture: music is a big part of who I am. I love working with young children and was an assistant teacher for Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) in the Minneapolis school system for fourteen years. I spent much of that time working with teen parents and their little ones, teaching the basics of good parenting. During this same time, I continued to teach various craft classes for the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Department, something I’ve done since I was fifteen! When my son, Easton, was born nine years ago, I developed a series of early childhood music classes for the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Department and I’ve been teaching music classes for this age group for parks and rec. ever since. I am delighted to be able to teach Music Together, combining my love of music and young children and their families with a curriculum that is backed by twenty years of solid research. An added bonus is that Music Together is a load of fun to teach! I look forward to meeting you and hope that we will be able to make music together. Renata Fox: Greetings! I am from Brazil and I live in Hugo with my wonderful husband, Paul, where I serve happily as an early childhood educator. Working with music and with children are two of my greatest passions. I discovered a love for children when I had the privilege of spending three years in Moscow, Russia, working with children in orphanages and hospitals. My current work with young children also brings so much happiness to my life. I attribute my love for music to the fact that the home in which I was raised was always full of music. I grew up singing in choirs and musical groups in church and in school. I also sang often with my father, an avid lover of music. This was always special because we did it together and we had fun while doing it. This is one of the reasons why I believe that there is no better combination than children, parents and music! It is no surprise that I instantly fell in love with the vision of Music Together to create a space where parents and children can collectively discover their musical talents and abilities while simultaneously strengthening the miraculous parent-child bond. I believe that music can be a powerful, positive force in anyone's life and am honored to be able to bring it to those in my community! Amanda Hand is certified as a Montessori teacher and has been singing for as long as she can remember. Though her father was a professional musician and frequently performed on A Prairie Home Companion, Amanda says that her love of singing came from her mother who made song a priority in their home. Amanda grew up steeped in the arts, attending the Children's Theater School, performing in professional and school theater, and taking ballet and modern dance classes. A person of many skills and interests, Amanda has taught infants through kindergartners, run a YWCA after school program for girls, tutored ESL, GED and adult literacy, taught Danish (and lived in Denmark for a year and teaches at Concorida Language Village’s Danish Camp each August),worked on farms in Ireland and fought forest fires for the DNR. These days, in addition to being a Music Together teacher, Amanda is a singer/song writer, a yoga instructor and the mother of two children, ages 4 and 7. In addition to her Montessori training, Amanda has a B.A. in International Studies with an emphasis on sustainable agriculture and agricultural policy. Last summer, she completed her training for her “Level One Certification” from the national-level Music Together organization which is quite an honor. Tibbe Luell has had over 20 years of dance training and has taught dance for the past 17 years. She is the owner of Valley Dance and Fitness, the studio where Music Together classes are held in Stillwater and in Osceola. Drawn by the irresistible music and the wonderful energy of our participants that she witnessed during the first session of Music Together at her Stillwater studio, Tibbe decided to take the Music Together teacher training herself. She has been enjoying the music and the families ever since. She sees Music Together as a great beginning in the arts, an excellent foundation for future training in dance, instrumental and vocal music, and all other creative endeavors. Heather Monthony: I've always loved music and my earliest musical memories are of my mother singing lullabies to me. My own singing was mostly done in my parents' living room and in church pews (both with gusto!). I started playing trumpet in elementary school and never put it down. In Junior High, I was in a “before school” German "oom-pah" band in addition to the concert band. In high school, I was in every band that existed—jazz band, pep band, marching band, concert band. I also participated in a number of musicals. I then went off to St. Olaf College and spent four wonderful years in the St. Olaf Band where in addition to playing, we were required to sing several songs at every concert. Since then, I've played with the Minnesota State Band and currently, I play trumpet and do a little singing with a German band, The Bavarian Musikmeisters. Whenever we perform, I wear the entire German outfit, complete with a dirndl skirt, braids and clunky shoes! I also play the cornet with the Lake Wobegon® Brass Band. I've worked with children in a variety of settings including as a gymnastics coach and as a naturalist. I have two children, a 4-year-old girl and a 9-month-old boy. Both of them love music and dancing! I discovered Music Together when my daughter was one-and-a-half. I love the variety of music and my daughter loves to “practice" the new music in our living room (with gusto, of course!). Kelly Olsen holds a B.S. in Occupational Therapy and worked for several years in pediatrics before switching careers and turning to Early Childhood Education. Kelly had never heard of Music Together until she received a flyer in the mail for a free demonstration class. The demo class led to registering for a session and after the very first class, Kelly decided this was the program for her and she registered for the teacher training! So, only six after starting the class with her children, she completed the teacher training course. Kelly says: ”I connected with the Music Together philosophy right away because it closely mirrors my educational philosophy – that all children have the potential to learn given developmentally appropriate opportunities and good role models.” Kelly has three young sons at home who willingly volunteer to try out her song ideas before she teaches a class, particularly if drums are involved. Tara Sayers: Hello! I currently reside in Woodbury with my husband, my two wonderful children, and one beautiful, psychotic dog rescued from the humane society. (If anyone would like to have a dog, up-to-date shots and some free food, let me know!) Born into a family of musicians, I crawled, walked, slept, and ate music. My day care days were spent with a phenomenal musician who taught all lessons through music. My day care group toured the cities performing for festivals, ball games, nursing homes and other venues, but my favorite opportunity was soloing on a children's record my teacher wrote and recorded. So, I know the value of early childhood music education from personal experience. Growing up, I studied piano for 15 years, clarinet for 10 and took dance lessons for 13 years. Music and dance have always had a strong presence in my life. Throughout my high school years, I was involved in community orchestra, band, choir, dance, and theater as well as participating in school theater, madrigal singers, band, choir, orchestra, All-State Band, All-State Choir, Dixieland, jazz, and our family band. All of this wonderful experience led me to study music at St. Olaf College on a clarinet performance scholarship. I'm not one to be all study and no play, so my budding clarinet career was cut short with one broom-ball stick to the mouth. (Ouch!) That emergency room visit resulted in an abrupt change of plans and my graduation from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in speech and communications with a minor in mass communications from the School of Journalism. After graduation, I found a job niche that I loved in pharmaceutical sales. Once I had my first son, I became a stay-at-home mom. I learned about Music Together by signing up for a sample class in Woodbury with my eldest son. I saw the immediate reaction to the class and the interest in going back. We signed up for the next session and have been taking classes ever since. Both of my sons absolutely love the experience Music Together has provided, and have benefited greatly from it. I am thrilled to be able to teach in this wonderful program. Cathi Smits has a degree in medical lab technology but feels her true calling is teaching Music Together. Two years ago, Cathi and her family moved to Hudson, WI, from Massachusetts where she taught Music Together classes at the Pakachoag Music School for five years while home schooling her four children. Originally from Wisconsin, Cathi is happy to be back in the midwest and is delighted to be sharing the Music Together program with area families. Paula Wilson: Paula Paula Wilson was born into a musical family. As part of the Klemp Family Singers, she began singing and performing with her seven siblings and her parents when she was just five years old. She and her family recorded three record albums, performing throughout the Twin Cities and touring each summer in a Partridge Family-style bus. Then, she began studying the flute and piano in grade school, two instruments she has played ever since. When Paula’s daughter, Audrey, was born, Paula wanted to give her the same wonderful beginning in music and knew she’d found just the right program when she discovered Music Together. Paula now brings both Audrey and her son, Fletcher, to Music Together classes. Paula is a graduate of Augsburg College with a double major in Theater and Broadcast Communications and she continues her acting career by doing television commercials locally. In her most recent TV commercial, Paula is part of a choir that is precariously perched in a tiny boat, singing hallelujah when a fish bites! Paula is eager to share Music Together with others, to help them discover the spontaneity and joy of making music in a circle of family and friends. Paula earned her “Level One Certification” this summer, receiving high praise for her teaching from Dr. Lili Levinowitz, one of the creators of Music Together. Heather Zappetta: I have been involved with music my whole life. I have loved to sing as far back as I can remember and have sung in choirs, musicals and church for years and years. I played the clarinet as my primary instrument from grade school through college and played piano for that same period as my secondary instrument. I’m married and we have two boys, Azariah who is two and and Nehemiah who is one. I adore my own children (of course) and also love children who are not my own which is one of the big reasons that I pursued a music education degree and became an elementary school music teacher. I currently teach in the New Richmond School District and this will be my fourth year there teaching sixth grade band and elementary general music. I am very excited to teach Music together this year. I just happen to get a flyer about the Music Together teacher training in my school mailbox and decided to check it out and I am so happy that I did! I love it and so do my children. When I'm not teaching, I spend all the time that I can outside with my family. We are avid bikers, walkers, campers, rock climbers and boaters and we thoroughly enjoy pursuing these activities together as a family.