Elizabeth began working as an educator in New York in 2006, soon after her daughter Maya was born, and has completed every teaching tenure to its full term. Impactful to her growth as an educator is her work with The Leadership Program. She gained a holistice approach to teaching due in great part to extensive training that the Leadership Program provides. In 2013 she earned the position of "Music Content Specialist" and facilitated quarterly workshops for the Leadership Teaching Artists. Elizabeth maintains a close relationship with the Leadership Program and facilitates at Youth Conferences and Building Family Workshops as well.
In 2011, Elizabeth was selected as Co-Music Director for the Drumming, Choral and Composition Program at the South Bronx Middle School IS 229, which is a grant funded program through The American Composers Orchestra. Currently, the students perform bi-annually incorporating rhythms from The Dominican Republic, West Africa, American Hip Hop, Cuba and Puerto Rico. In addition, the students collectively create their own compositions in small groups.
As a teacher, Elizabeth embraces the method of placing focus on positive reinforcement, and feels this garners the best results. Encouraging creativity, emphasizing leadership, and challenging her students' minds and hearts are elemental to her teaching style.
Elizabeth enjoys working in her neighborhood community in Brooklyn, where she volunteers her time musically for events at her daughters’school. On the weekends, she facilitates music classes at PS 15 for children with disabilities, through the non-profit organization, MusicWorksNYC. Her daughter Maya often assists with these classes. Elizabeth teaches Music & Drumming at Brooklyn Acting Lab Summer Youth Camp, and taught World Drumming at Congregation Beth Elohim for almost ten years; both extraordinary summer camps that her daughter attended for many years.
EDUCATION
Nashville, Tn.
Hillwood High School
B.A. Communications/Marketing
Havana, Cuba
Matanzas, Cuba
Seattle, Washington
Seattle World Percussion Society
Jeff Busch (Brazilian percussion)
Matt McCarter (Afro-Cuban)
Mapathe Diop (Senegal,Africa)
Miami, Fla.
Jose Castillo (Afro-Cuban)
New York, NY.
Tito Puente’s Harbor Conservatory of the Performing Arts
Johnny Almendra (Afro-Cuban)
Tony Rosa
(Puerto Rican,Afro-Cuban)
INSTRUCTIONAL COMPONENTS
Percussion Technique and Vocabulary
Traditional Rhythms from Cuba, Puerto Rico, West Africa, American Hip Hop, Guyana, Trinidad, and her own compositions.
Significance and origins of specific rhythms
Fun Music Games and Activities
Composition
Improvisation
Body Rhythms
Literacy in reading and writing music notation
Common Core Standards alignment in DOE schools
INSTRUMENTS
Congas, Bongos, Djembe, Log drums,Floor Tom, Auxiliary percussion and Bucket Drumming
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2011-current:
THE AMERICAN COMPOSER'S ORCHESTRA
Co-Music Director at IS 229 Roland Patterson Middle School for:
THE DRUMMING, CHORAL AND COMPOSITION PROGRAM
Elizabeth leads both Drumming and Composition which includes music literacy, composition, folkloric and contemporary rhythms, and improvisation.
Choral Songs are led by Co-Music Director Mr. Hugh Fletcher
Winter and Spring concerts annually
2016-2019
In-class Drumming Enrichment- Performance based residency
2006-current
Elizabeth has received extensive training in The Leadership Program’s research-based Socio-Emotional Learning curriculum. Applying activities in Leadership, Self Esteem, and Conflict Resolution helps students gain life skills, balanced with learning percussion curriculum. The Leadership Program has won multiple national awards for their progressive ideas in Youth Development and have hundreds of teaching artists on staff. As Music Content Specialist for the Leadership Program, Elizabeth facilitated workshops to help teaching artists maximize content, gain strength in classroom management skills, share ideas, and collaborate with one another.
Elizabeth’s Leadership Program school residencies
2006-2021:
Specific dates@schools and references furnished upon request.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
PS 288 The Shirley Tannyhill School- Brooklyn, Ny.
IS 137 Rachel Jean Mitchell Elementary School Brooklyn, Ny.
PS 95 The Gravesend Elementary School- Brooklyn, Ny.
PS 81 Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School- Brooklyn, Ny.
PS 96 Richard Rogers Elementary School- Bronx, Ny. (Virtual learning)
PS K134- Brooklyn, Ny.
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
IS 271 John Coleman Middle School- Brooklyn, Ny.
IS 392 Middle School- Brooklyn, Ny.
JHS 185 Edward Bleeker Junior High- Flushing, Ny.
East Flatbush Community Research School- Brooklyn, Ny.
MS 137 America's School of Heroes- Queens, Ny
HIGH SCHOOLS
John Dewey High School- Brooklyn, Ny.
August Martin High School- Queens, Ny.
Martin Van Buren High School- Queens, Ny.
2013-current
Extreme Kids and Crew @ PS 15 special needs
14th Street YMCA- children with disabilities
Girls Prep Lower East Side Elementary
2010-2019
Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Afterschool World Drumming
Summer Youth Camp- Song and Drumming
2012-2020.
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Early childhood Song and Drum
Summer Youth Camp - Percussion and Song Composition
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL CONTRACTS
Park Slope, Brooklyn:
2010-2012 PS 10 Magnet School of Math Science and Technology Elementary After school World Drumming
2010-2019 PS 295 The Studio School of Arts and Culture- Elementary After School World Drumming
2006-2007
THE POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE NON-PROFIT YOUTH ORGANIZATION
New York, NY.
Youth Community Music and Drumming Classes
1994-current
PRIVATE INSTRUCTION
Seattle,Wa.,Brooklyn & Manhattan
Primarily Conga and Bongo instruction of folkloric Afro-Cuban rhythms
