As part of the SMS mission, K – 5th grade students choose to play the violin, viola, cello, or bass (bass in 3rd grade or when a certain height.) 6th – 8th grade students can choose to participate in the strings program or a music appreciation class. The process of their discovery — wherein they realize that they each have the capability to bring themselves and others joy through the music they create — is life-changing.  Mary Anne blends her curriculum to involve classical, pop, and fiddle works, and students share with her the ever-growing list of songs they want to play. She adds, “It’s wonderful hearing class pieces being sung and hummed in the halls, the spontaneous ‘I LOVE Telemann!,’ or ‘I can improvise!’ EMS students perform in a number of ensemble and orchestra arrangements throughout the year, both on campus and at venues across Steamboat. Likewise, they enjoy several opportunities to work with Ernest Richardson and the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra.

Mary Anne earned her Bachelor of Music Education from The State University of New York at Fredonia in 1982. Her education includes a strong emphasis in Suzuki pedagogy. She performs locally with the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra and the Steamboat String Quartet and has performed with the Erie Philharmonic, the Midland/Odessa Symphony and the Louisiana Philharmonic.