I have loved music for as long as I can remember. Growing up in a home full of music, with my mom and dad being classical and jazz music lovers, I was exposed to music at a very young age.
I began singing and playing piano very early in my life. It was a part of who I was–a part of my identity. I played the flute and later the bassoon in band, sang in numerous choirs, did many solos and ensembles and performed in many contests and shows. In my middle school years, I began my life-long love of musical theater. Throughout my teen years, college, and beyond, I was in many musicals and operas. As an adult, I became involved with the community theaters, and began Musical Directing many shows, from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown to Les Miserable. Majoring in voice and piano, I received my Bachelor Degree in Music Education from Wichita State University in 1987. Since then, I have had a variety of teaching experiences spanning all grade levels. I have learned so much over the years, morphing, changing and growing with every experience. I have never ceased to be passionate about music and the children I am blessed to teach. I discovered Musikgarten in 2008, when being hired to teach at a preschool necessitated my finding a solid music curriculum for young children. I looked at many different curricula, and was delighted to find Musikgarten. I opened “The Music Garden” in 2009, and discovered that teaching children to find their musical voice is more rewarding than almost anything I have ever done. Moving from Washington State to Georgia in 2012, I am excited about introducing Musikgarten to Fayette County. Opening “The Music Garden” is a dream come true, and I am looking forward to serving the children and families of this community for many years to come. I am married to my husband of 22 years, Bill. We have three amazing children, Jacquelyn, Allessandra, and Christian. I have been trying to balance being a mom of three active children, a wife of a contractor who works away from home most of the time, and teaching music. Although sometimes a struggle, I have found that the rewards are well worth the effort! My Christian faith has always been my underlying fuel for all I do. I have been very involved with my church family, serving as choir director, worship leader, soloist, and have produced, directed, and performed in many productions over the years. I consider my career an extension of my ministry, and find it a blessing to welcome these families into my studio every week. I’ve taught for over 20 years, but as you can see, I am never finished with learning, growing, and changing. I have truly loved every child I’ve ever taught, cherishing every moment I’ve shared with each one of them.
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Staff and volunteers at The Music Garden have been busy creating a wonderful and fun new Website to showcase our students, families, and classes.
For Summer Classes, families may use the registration form found on the Summer Classes pages, and then pay by credit card via the link in an email invoice we'll send, or pay by cash or check or credit card at the first day of class. For Fall Classes, we hope to have a fully functional online registration program that will offer credit card payments, and automatically generate invoices, class reports, and more. We hope you enjoy our new Website, and if you like it, please visit the Face Book section on the lower right side of our Home Page and click LIKE! ~ Laurie Searle, Website Consultant for The Music Garden |