About Kathryn
I have twenty-two years of experience in the elementary general music classroom and currently teach in a northern suburb of Chicago. I am passionate about the shift in music education from teacher-led activities to student-led activities and I focus my time on practical ways to transform my classroom to empower my students to own their learning.
Recently I was a guest on the Music Ed Mentor podcast and the Elementary Music Education Summit YouTube series on empowering music students. Last year I joined the team at Activate! magazine as a contributing author of general music lesson plans. A published work of mine, Creating Adaptive Instruments with a Makey Makey, can be found in the fall 2019 issue of the Illinois Music Educator Journal as I am also passionate about an inclusive music experience for all students. I have coauthored two teaching resources, Full STEAM Ahead: Lessons to Shift Instruction, Empower Students, and Transform Your Music Classroom and Everyone Loves a Story: Bringing Books to Life Through Music as well as the book, Pass the Baton: Empowering All Music Students.
I received her bachelor’s degree in music education from Augustana College and my master’s in music education from VanderCook College of Music. I am a co-creator of the #BlairFinchProject, certified in all three levels of Orff Schulwerk, an Apple Teacher, and serve as a technology leader in my school district.
I live near Chicago, Illinois, with my husband, two children, an energetic Brittany spaniel, and an emotionally challenged Chihuahua. If I am not writing, you can find me taking walks with the dogs, experimenting in the kitchen, or creating sewing projects with the family to support local organizations.
