Here's a close-up and personal look at a few of our talented music teachers. A complete listing of our teachers can be seen here.
Jonathan Szin
Clarinet Teacher 5th grade
San Mateo-Foster City School District
"Music education is all about creating genuine moments of connection. I was so fortunate to have music teachers who not only fostered the skills I needed to make music but who also helped me learn to convey emotion, internalize beauty, learn to listen, and in turn want to share these lessons with others.”
Education:
Master of Music in Clarinet Performance San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Managing director and clarinetist of Nomad Session
Listen to Jonathan here
Kyoko Yamashita
Classroom Music Teacher
3rd-5th grade
Cupertino and San Jose
"Only positive things happen when you sing, listen to music, play an instrument, or dance. Music is a wonderful tool to help us through our lives."
Education:
BA from the University of California-Santa Cruz
Started as MFM Volunteer Music Teacher in 2010
Kyoko sings with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir
Lidia Orduña-Ruiz
Classroom Music Teacher
Transitional Kindergarten – 5th grade
Redwood City and San Mateo
“Music helps my differently-abled students overcome so many of the challenges they face at school and takes them to the magical world of melody and rhythm. Even small steps mean a lot and I see these children gain a sense of being more capable through music class.”
Education:
Bachelor’s in Music Education Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico
Started as MFM Volunteer Music Teacher in 2006
Lidia sings with her church choir in Redwood City
Dylan Librande
Classroom Music Teacher
Transitional Kindergarten – 5th grade
San Mateo-Foster City School District
“When I step into a classroom to teach, my worries and troubles disappear. My goal as a music educator is to share this feeling of focus, presence, and joy with every student I see.”
Education:
Bachelor’s in Music in Music Composition Willamette University
Plays harpsichord with the Peralta Music Consort
Listen to Dylan here
Andrea Llenos
Classroom Music Teacher - Volunteer
Kindergarten
San Jose
"Though I'm a scientist by trade, music has been an integral part of my life, seeing me through so many personal and professional challenges. I want to make sure students have the same opportunities I had to fall in love with music and discover something they can enjoy and lean on their whole lives."
Education:
PhD in Geophysics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Started as MFM Volunteer Music Teacher in 2010
Andrea sings with the Santa Clara Chorale and Continental Harmony.
Here's a view into three Music for Minors schools, as well as an introduction to their music champions who care so deeply about music for their students. A complete listing of our schools can be seen here.
Franklin Elementary
Franklin-McKinley School District, San Jose
Music Champion: Johnny Do, 3rd grade teacher
“The Music for Minors program is a great experience for our students and something that most of them would never be exposed to otherwise,” says 3rd grade teacher Johnny Do, “I’m amazed at the range of effects I’ve seen on the kids and overall how music provides another outlet for them to express themselves.”
Franklin Elementary is one of 16 schools in the district. Serving 760 transitional kindergarten – 6th grade students, 82% of Franklin’s students are from low-income families. These students represent tremendous cultural and ethnic diversity. The two predominant ethnic groups are Hispanic and Vietnamese, with 62% English-language learners. Music can play an especially important role in a school like Franklin as it bolsters language skills and creates a shared repertoire to bridge differences.
Despite a lack of funding, Johnny was determined that his students have weekly music and successfully secured a grant through the Santa Clara County Office of Education.
Rodeo Hills Elementary
John Swett Unified School District, Rodeo
Music Champion: Bonner Odell, Parent Activist
“Music--singing and dancing--really brings people together,” Bonner Odell comments, “I have seen first-hand what’s possible when a school has arts education, especially for those that serve a high percentage of at-risk kids.”
Rodeo Hills is the only elementary school in this district, located in Contra Costa County on the eastern shore of San Pablo Bay*. The 670 students come from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities, with the predominant groups Hispanic (32%), Black (20%), Asian (19%), and White (16%). With 77% coming from low-income families, a school music program is especially impactful and can help level the playing field for these children who have little to no access to music education outside of school.
Bonner was fully committed to bring music to her children’s school, and worked to engage the parent community, rally school district support, and finally obtain program funding. As a result, all students—transitional kindergarten through 2nd grade—are now participating in weekly music.
*Although this school represents new geography for MFM, we will go where the need is greatest, within our capability. This location is convenient for an increasingly large segment of our teaching talent that lives in the East Bay.
Daniel Webster School
Jefferson Elementary School District, Daly City
Music Champion: Jennifer Knopf, Principal
For many of our students, school is the only opportunity for music education and I’ve seen so many benefits.” Jennifer Knopf remarks, “They just love it!