Sue Woodruff, Band Teacher
This is my 15th year of teaching music for NVUSD. I am currently at 7 schools teaching mostly 4th and 5th graders, but also some primary and two schools' bands. I also do some private teaching and an after-school choir for 1st and 2nd graders "Mini-Singers" at Blue Oak School. I have been involved in the Orff approach to making music for many years with it's integration of movement, speech, body percussion, instruments and singing-I think that this approach makes music something that all can be a part of, enjoy and become more proficient at.
I see 4th and 5th graders at Northwood for 40 minutes a week. Singing is a big part of year with a Winter Show in December and either "O' California" or "Sea to Shining Sea" in March with songs that bring history to life. I also focus on the recorder and demystify music reading while doing our "Recorder Karate" unit in the spring.
My goal is to make music fun while learning skills, vocabulary and being actively involved in music making. I got my B. Music from University of Sheffield, England, and my teaching credentials (I also have been a classroom teacher) at Sonoma State and became a National Board Certified Teacher in music 6 years ago.
Piano and flute are my primary instruments and I currently play flute with the North Bay Wind Ensemble. My husband and I have two daughters who are both very musical and two dogs who are decidedly not (but they do tolerate us)!
