How Did I Get Here?

If you see me barefoot in the summer or wearing sandals and socks even in the winter, you may suspect my East Tennessee roots. Eavesdropping on a conversation with my sister will confirm that fact - I can talk "hillbilly" with the best of them!  I grew up in Kingsport, in a family with four brothers and a sister.   Our family placed strong emphasis on education.  So, I followed the tradition set by our parents and grandparents:

Although I prepared for Youth Ministry, my first job was Choral Director and Religion teacher at Morrison Academy in Taichung, Taiwan.  I fell in love with teaching at Morrison.  I also discovered that I loved working and living in the Orient.  I returned to the States, to earn a Master's Degree in Church Music.   While in Louisville, I met my husband, Ed.  Our original plans for full-time work in local churches and later overseas gradually evolved into full-time self-employment as music teachers and performers.  

We have been operating a "Mom and Pop" business for 21 years called Spencer & Spencer Music Services.  We  live in Eden, North Carolina. We teach private voice, piano and brass lessons in  our studios.  Other available services include  performing at events such as weddings, receptions, and parties and piano tuning.  We each work part time as Church Organists.   Last but not least, I am employed full-time as the Music Specialist at Leaksville-Spray Elementary School.

Welcome To My Classroom...

Music is always an expression of the culture and the technology which produces it.  Music touches every facet of our daily lives.  Music is not only relevant, but essential to our culture and emotional health.  For this reason, I use a wide variety of music styles in all my classes.   Students are encouraged to explore the reasons each choral piece was written, and how it fits into our history.  I have taught for more than twenty years, in a myriad of settings.  I enjoy teaching all ages, from preschoolers to grandmothers.

In the regular classroom, I am equally at home with elementary students and with high schoolers.  I love working as a team with high school choirs, preparing for performances in our community.  I enjoy seeing them realize that their music making can be very good, that they can touch their world and make it better. Each semester, students work in teams, producing a powerpoint presentation to give visual interpretaion to one of our anthems.   One of the most powerful presentations was "Alleluia" by Randall Thompson.  We learned much of our country's mind set during World War II with that unit.

When I'm Not Working...

From March until November, you can often find me in the rose garden.  Mine is small - only 30 bushes - but it is a wonderful escape from the rest of the world.  At other times, I curl up with a good book to read. Nothing is quite as soothing as a good story, a great cup of coffee, and a lawn chair at the edge of the woods...unless, of course, one can find a good camp site in the mountains.  We love tent camping too.

Web Sites for Browsing...

Dictionary.com-Crossword Puzzle -   The site offers a new crossword puzzle every day.  The player has options for difficulty and help with tough words.

Birds & Blooms  - A delightful site for folks who like bird watching and gardening.

The NPR 100  List - National Public Radio's site with audio files of behind-the-scenes stories about 100 of America's best music and composers.  Downloading the files is worth the wait!

The Amity Foundation - The Amity Foundation is the organization of Chinese Nationals which sponsors American English teachers for Summer English Programs in China. I was an Amity Teacher in 2001.