About Us

We are very excited to have this blog, to collaborate, share, and learn from each other! Here is more information about each of our contributors:


Aileen Miracle teaches general music and band in the Olentangy Local School District near Columbus, Ohio. At her elementary school, she teaches grades K-5 as well as 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade choir. This is her eighteenth year teaching; previously, she taught in Lancaster City Schools as well as Utica Community Schools in Utica, Michigan. Aileen received her Bachelor of Music Education from Central Michigan University in 1999, and her Master of Music in Music Education from Capital University in 2003; she completed her masters studies at the Kodaly Institute in Kecskemet, Hungary. Aileen serves as Past President of the Midwest Kodaly Music Educators of America, and serves on the Technology Task Force of the Organization of American Kodaly Educators. She has taught Level I and III for DePaul University's Kodaly Program and Level I Methodology and Folk Song Research for Colorado State University's Kodaly Program, and currently presents workshops across the nation. In 2016, she was named Cheshire Elementary's Teacher of the Year. She enjoys spending time with her family: husband Scott, 12-year-old daughter Jenna, and 4-year-old Macy (who are all very musical!) You can read her blog here.


Amy Abbott is in her 19th year of teaching elementary music with the past 16 years have been in the St. Vrain Valley School district. She received her undergraduate degree in music education from the University of Colorado at Boulder and obtained her masters in music education with a Kodály emphasis from Colorado State University. She has Kodály certifications from Portland State University, where she studied with Jill Trinka, Susan Brumfield, Vicki Loebell & Sean Dëibler and from Colorado State University, where she studied with Sue Liethold-Bowcock and Ann Eisen.

She has presented sessions at the Oregon Arts Alliance State Conference, ROCKE (Regional Organization of Colorado Kodály Educators) Chapter Shares and St. Vrain Music Teacher Professional Development Days. Additionally, she has served on the ROCKE board for over 7 years as President, Secretary and Member-at-Large. She is the current Level II Methodology & Folk Song Research instructor at Colorado Kodály Institute at Colorado State University.

In addition to teaching general music at Red Hawk elementary in Erie she also teaches a 4/5 choir, tone-chime choirs and a drum ensemble. When not teaching she loves spending time with her husband, son and daughter, gardening and blogging. You can read her blog here.



Lindsay Jervis has taught elementary music to Pre-K through 5th Grade for 6 years in a suburb of Wichita, KS. She received her undergraduate degree in music education from Wichita State University and is currently pursuing her Masters of Music Education from Wichita State University. She has her Kodály certification from Wichita State University, where she studied with Jo Kirk, Lisa Simmelink, Susan Tevis, and Gabor Viragh.

She has presented at the Kansas Conference of Music Teacher Education Professors and serves as the publicity chair for KMEK (Kodály Music Educators of Kansas).

When not teaching she loves spending time with her husband, her daughter, Ellie, creating resources for music teachers, blogging, and traveling. You can read her blog here.



Karla Cherwinski has been teaching elementary general music for 23 years, 18 of which have been at Indian Trail Elementary in Canal Winchester, Ohio where she works with Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd graders. Throughout her career, Karla has taught K-6 general music in Lancaster, OH, directed the Bexley United Methodist Children’s Choir, taught private piano lessons and taught birth through age 5 music classes through the WeJoySing program.

Karla has degrees from Capital University, the Kodály Institute at Capital and the Ohio State University where she recently received her Technology Endorsement. During the summer, Karla teaches Level III Kodály Methodology and Materials through the master’s program at Colorado State University. Karla is an advocate for integrating technology into the music classroom and has been active in her school as a Technology Support Assistant as well as serving on the building leadership team. Karla has presented interactive whiteboard sessions at MidWest Kodály Music Educators (MKMEA) Conferences, Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) National Conferences and at several technology conferences in Ohio. Away from work, Karla enjoys spending time with her family, reading and photography. You can read her blog here.


Kate Klotz teaches elementary music and choir in Boulder, Colorado. She completed her Master’s of Music in Music Education with Kodály emphasis at Colorado State University in 2013 and received her undergraduate degree in music education from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2008. Kate completed her three levels of Kodály certification at Colorado State and has also completed one level of Orff Schulwerk training. From 2011-2013, Kate served on the artistic staff of the Spokane Area Youth Choirs in Spokane, Washington, where she directed elementary, middle and high school choirs. Currently, she is on the artistic staff of the Boulder Children’s Chorale, where she directs the Preparatory Choirs for students in 1st through 5th grade. She has been a guest clinician and choral adjudicator for the St. Vrain Valley and Omak School Districts, and has sung with the Colorado Conductor’s Chorale and the Spokane Symphony Chorale. She resides in Boulder with her husband, Nathan, and enjoys yoga, reading and spending time outdoors. You can read her blog here.


Tanya LeJeune lives in Denver, Colorado and is in her twenty-first year of teaching elementary music in Jefferson County Public Schools. Tanya holds a Master’s of Music Education with Kodály emphasis degree from Colorado State University.

Tanya has served on the ROCKE (Regional Organization of Colorado Kodály Educators) board as President and Member-at-Large. She has presented music education workshops and in-services for OAKE, NKE (Northwest Kodály Educators,) AOSA Rocky Mountain Chapter, CMEA (Colorado Music Educators’ Association), and several school districts in Colorado. She teaches Level I Methodology and Folk Song Research at the Colorado Kodály Institute at Colorado State University. Tanya also currently serves as Member at Large on the board of the Organization of American Kodály Educators.

Outside of teaching, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and playing bass and singing in an amateur rock band. You can read her blog here.



Jamie Parker is in her 9th year of teaching elementary music in Troy School District 30c, located in Joliet, IL. Jamie received her Bachelor of Music Education from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2008 and her Master of Music in Music Education from Capital University in 2012. She also received her Kodály certification in 2012 from the Kodály Institute at Capital.

Mrs. Parker currently serves as the Vice-President of the Chicago Area Kodály Educators. She has presented workshops at the Illinois Music Educators Conference, Northern Illinois University, CAKE (Chicago Area Kodály Educators), and the Midwest Kodály Music Educators of America Conference.

In her spare time, Mrs. Parker loves to teach clarinet lessons, travel, read, and spend time with her husband, Andrew, and her three dogs.




Sue Leithold-Bowcock is a grade 1-5 classroom and choral music teacher in District #761 in Owatonna, Minnesota. As department chair, she has facilitated the development of a Kodaly-inspired elementary music curriculum, and has mentored several district teachers in the Kodaly approach. Sue has a BA and a Masters from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and received her Kodaly certificate from the University of St. Thomas. She has been a clinician in the Kodaly approach, and is a former OAKE board member and KCM chapter President. Additionally, Sue has taught at the University of St. Thomas and Level II at Colorado State University.

Sue has a classroom blog at bowcockmusic.blogspot.com.




Liza Meyers teaches K-2 music and movement at Manhattan Charter School 2 in New York, NY. This is her 16th year teaching music. Previously she taught in Gilbert and Higley school districts in Arizona, and North Central local schools in Ohio. Liza received her Bachelor of Music from Capital University in 1997, her Masters from Arizona State University in 2006, and is currently completing her doctorate in music education also through ASU.

Liza taught in the Kodaly certification course at ASU from 2005 to 2011, Level I, II, and III Musicianship/Solfa for the Kodaly Institute of Kentucky at Morehead State University since 2008, and will be teaching Level I Pedagogy and Folk Song Research at the University of Montevallo in Alabama this summer. She also holds Orff certification, studied at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemet, Hungary in 2003, and received a Japan Fulbright Scholarship (traveling to Tokyo and Shiogama, Japan) in 2006. Liza is a former OAKE Western Division President, AKTS chapter president, and was National Program Chair for the 2012 Organization of American Kodaly Educators Conference held in Phoenix, AZ. and is a frequent presenter across the United States.




Christopher Roberts teaches K-5 music in Seattle, and is an Affiliate Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Washington. During the summers, he directs the Kodály Levels Program of Seattle, where he has taught all levels of pedagogy, folk song, and musicianship. An active workshop clinician throughout the United States and Canada, he also is a core instructor in the Smithsonian Folkways Workshop in World Music Pedagogy at the University of Washington. Currently, Christopher serves as the Western Division President-Elect of OAKE, and is a Member-at-Large for NAfME’s Council for General Music. He holds degrees from the University of Washington (Ph.D., M.A.) and Swarthmore College (B.A.), with research and clinical interests in children's musical cultures, world music education, and Kodály-inspired pedagogy. His articles have appeared in publications including the Kodály Envoy, Orff Echo, Journal of Research in Music Education, and Oxford Handbook of Children's Musical Cultures.

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