Crystal Pridmore has been teaching music for 15 years as a private voice instructor, secondary choir director, early childhood music specialist, and PreK-8 general music teacher. She currently runs the general music, choral, and strings program for PreK-6th grade students at Finney Elementary School. She holds a BA in Music Education and MA in Teaching from Point Loma Nazarene University and California Single Subject Teaching Credential in Music. She actively serves throughout the community as a singer and choir member and frequently collaborates with other musicians in various capacities. She is the creator and co-host of the Chaotic Harmony podcast, chronicling the reestablishment of music programs in Chula Vista Elementary School District after a 30-year absence of arts education. In addition, Crystal has completed 3 levels of certification in Orff-Schulwerk, serves as the San Diego American Orff Schulwerk Association Chapter President. She is a current member of CMEA (California Music Educators Association), NAfME (National Association for Music Education), and AOSA (American Orff Schulwerk Association). She is the recipient of the 2020 CMEA Southern Border Section Elementary Music Specialist Fortissimo Award and was a Semifinalist for the 2020 GRAMMY Music Educator Award.

I find that using a singing bowl is an effective mediation tool for myself and a respectful attention-getter in the classroom or when teaching adults in a workshop.  They are lovely for adults because the bowls gradually get louder, gently telling the participants that it is time to wrap up conversations and bring attention to the front.  In the classroom, my students know that when I gently tap the singing bowl once it is a 1-minute warning to finish group work, 2 taps is “give me your attention immediately,” and “making the bowl sing” means please form a circle.  Mine sings a D and makes a great starting pitch.