Hutzel House of Music

I have been teaching elementary music and band since 2006. I currently teach grades K-6 elementary general music and a 7th grade (Junior High) pop music history elective. I have a Master's Degree in Educational Technology, and love creating fun ways to teach new concepts. I have my level one Orff certification and have taken TI:ME level 1A.

I teach an Orff-based curriculum, but keep it fresh each year with lots of my own ideas. I love to keep the kids guessing and finding new ways to get them excited about making music. My classroom might be considered a state of "controlled chaos," but I wouldn't have it any other way! Please follow this link to find my Facebook page, where you can see what's going on in my classroom and to find out about any new products or special events going on in my store! Hutzel House of Music (Facebook Page)

I have been at my current school since 2008. My K-6 elementary school is the smallest and lowest socio-economically advantaged of six elementary schools in my suburban district- but that doesn't keep us down! We were recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2014, the same year that we received recognition as a National Title I School of Distinction. In 2017 I was beyond honored to be recognized as the Teacher of the Year for my building. While it is nice to be recognized in those ways, my most treasured memory (and highest honor) as an educator came from a fourth grade student many years ago. I was using Plank Road Publishing's "Recorder Karate" in my classroom, and he'd mastered all of the songs and had earned his Black Belt. When his uncle passed away suddenly and unexpectedly, this 9 year old child brought his recorder to the funeral and performed "Amazing Grace" from memory in front of the entire gathering. His mom, who had just lost her brother, shared this with me afterwards, and it reminded me why we do what we do. Music is a force more powerful than words. We need to continue to bring a high level of music education to our children so they can experience its power for themselves!

I am a 2001 cum laude graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education. In continuing my education, I have attended many Orff workshops and OMEA clinics, as well as completing my M.Ed. in Educational Technology with a 4.0 GPA from the American College of Education.

I'm busy loving life in a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. I'm married to my wonderfully supportive husband, Louie since 2003. He keeps me going when the going gets tough, which can sometimes happen in the field of music education! Louie "gets" what this music thing is all about- even though he's a software engineer now, he was raised in Suzuki method violin since the age of four. We love to go out dancing and can't imagine life without music. My favorite color is green, and my favorite holidays are St. Patrick's Day and New Year's Eve! I love sharing my passion for music with students and hope that my products are useful in your classroom! I would love to chat with you about any of my products or anything related to music education! Please feel free to reach out to me directly at hutzelhouseofmusic@gmail.com!