Drue Bullington teaches elemental music and movement at Brownstown and J.E. Fritz Elementary Schools at Conestoga Valley School District in Lancaster, PA. Drue has a rich and varied background in choral music as a conductor of children’s choral music, private studio instructor and professional choral singer. He is twice a graduate of West Chester University of Pennsylvania having received a B.S. in Music Education and a M.M. in Music Education with a certification in Orff Schulwerk. He has done extensive post graduate study as well through masterclasses and an apprenticeship program at George Mason University. Drue has taught in several Orff Schulwerk Certification programs around the U.S. and offers numerous professional development and workshop sessions on elemental music and movement through the Orff Schulwerk approach, incorporating technology, and integrating the soprano ukulele into the K-12 music classroom.
Crystal Pridmore has been teaching music for 12 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 proudly serves as a member of the MUSICALumni Auxiliary board for her alma mater. She actively serves throughout the community as a singer and choir member, and frequently collaborates with other musicians in various capacities. In addition, Crystal has completed level certification in Orff-Schulwerk, and serves as the San Diego American Orff Schulwerk Association Chapter Vice President
Kate Bright is a music teacher at Lincoln Charter School in York, PA, where she teaches approximately 500 students from kindergarten thru fourth grade. She received her Orff Schulwerk certification at the Philadelphia University of the Arts in 2010 and, in August of 2021, completed her Master’s of Kodaly Music Education at the American Kodaly Institute. She has presented at Orff chapters around the country and at the American Orff Schulwerk Association’s National Conference. In 2015, she received the Spotlight Award from the American Center for Elemental Music and Movement and in 2017 she received her school’s first-ever Staff Member of the Year award. In her community, Kate also directs the Hummelstown Community Singers. She currently serves as president of the Greater Baltimore Area Orff and secretary of ACEMM. In her spare time, Kate runs the Elemental Musical Adventures website and Facebook group, where each day she posts a new challenge for members to complete or ponder.
David Thaxton is from Sparks, Nevada where is currently in his 24th year teaching Elementary music to pre-K through 6th grade. He studied under Elizabeth Gilpatrick, and Judith Cole at Colorado State University, UNC Greeley and the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he received all three levels of Orff Certification, as well as studying under Kay Lehto at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to receive certification as an AOSA approved Levels Course Educator. David teaches Level I pedagogy for the University of Nevada, Reno Summer Orff Course as well as the Orff Level I pedagogy and Level II Recorder for the San Diego Summer Orff Course. David has presented workshops and clinics at local, state and national levels and presents to Orff chapters throughout the country. He has also served as President of the Sierra Nevada Chapter of AOSA where he was co-founder of the Sierra Nevada Orff Festival. At the national level, he has served on the Editorial Board of The Echo Journal of the American Orff Schulwerk Association and the monthly online publication, Reverberations. He has been the Creative Director and Lead Clinician for the Four Corners Young Musicians Summer Camp in Durango, Colorado since 2015. David was also recently awarded the “Spotlight Educator Award” for the Winter of 2017 from the American Center for Elemental Music and Movement (ACEMM).
Liban O. Gómez was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and has been teaching for 13 years at The School of Higher Expectations P.S. 66 in the Bronx, New York City. Liban previously taught grades 2 and 5 working particularly with the English Language Learners. He has been teaching General Music, Music Through Literacy, and school violin to students from Pre-K – 5 th for over 10 years. At The City College of New York, he received his Bachelors’ Degrees in Childhood Education, Italian Literature and Language, and Mathematics followed by a Master’s in Teaching English to Students of Other Languages (TESOL). He is certified in Orff-Schulwerk. He is the current president of the New York City Chapter of American Orff-Schulwerk Association. Liban frequently and actively attended numerous workshops offered from different parts of the world. Liban is a polyglot and has traveled around the world to learn and explore other cultures. He loves and enjoys teaching, movement, sports, traveling, and photography.
Casey Goryeb is the 6th Grade Chorus, 7th Grade Band, & 8th Grade Music Teacher at Copeland Middle School in Rockaway Township, NJ. She attended Lebanon Valley College where she received a B.S. in Music Education and B.A. in Music (Flute Performance). Casey then earned her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership Instruction from The College of New Jersey. She received her Orff Schulwerk Certification and completed an Orff Curriculum Course through The University of the Arts, and a Master Class in Orff Schulwerk through George Mason University. An active member of her local chapter, Casey is the President of the Northern New Jersey Orff Schulwerk Association (NNJOSA). She is also a theater nerd and directs the musicals at school every year. Casey currently resides in Hackettstown NJ with her husband, Aaron, and their rescue dog, Bear.
Jeaneau Julian is in her 22nd year of teaching music, with the last 10 years being the Music Specialist at Terry Elementary School in Little Rock, Arkansas. She completed her undergraduate degree in Instrumental Music Education from the University of Oklahoma and earned a master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Arkansas Tech University. She has completed her Orff Schulwerk Teacher Education levels and has previously served as Treasurer for the Central Arkansas Orff chapter. In addition to teaching music, she is the ESOL coordinator and records the daily morning announcements for her school. Outside of school, she provides professional development at the district level for elementary music teachers, was the Winter 2022 American Center for Elemental Music and Movement Spotlight Award Winner, and serves as a Trustee for the National Board of Trustees of the American Orff Schulwerk Association.
Lisa Sempsey graduated with honors from Millersville University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelors of Science in Music Education in May 2001. She completed her Kodály Levels through West Chester University of Pennsylvania and New England Conservatory. She has also completed her Orff-Schulwerk Levels through the University of the Arts in collaboration with Villanova University’s graduate summer music education programs and George Mason University. Lisa also holds a master’s degree in Leadership for Teaching and Learning from Millersville University. Lisa is a clinician and workshop presenter who loves to share and collaborate with her colleagues. She has presented workshops and sessions covering topics including classroom management, choral reading sessions, technology in the music classroom, movement and music curricular connections, Kodaly Pedagogy in the modern elementary music class, curriculum development and lesson planning, and Orff-Schulwerk elements in K-6 music classes. Lisa has taught kindergarten through sixth grade general music, elementary choruses, as well as elementary and middle school strings in Lower Dauphin and Conestoga Valley School Districts, as well as been the Artistic Director and Prelude Choir Director for the Children’s Choir of Lancaster from 2005-2012. Currently, Lisa teaches kindergarten through sixth grade general music, chorus, and Orff, Drum & Strum Ensemble in Columbia Borough School District. She also serves as the K-12 Art & Music Curriculum Coordinator for the district. Lisa lives in Lititz with her husband and son, enjoys cooking and baking, spending time with her family, and generally taxiing around her teenage son.
Natasha Thurmon teaches K-5 general music, choir, strings, Recorder, and Orff ensemble at Boldt Elementary in the Northside Independent School District in San Antonio, TX. She has a BME in Music Education from Pacific Lutheran University and an MM in Music Education from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She completed her Orff levels and two master classes at Trinity University, where she now teaches Recorder, in addition to San Diego. Natasha is past president of Central Texas Orff, and has served on several subcommittees for AOSA, chairing the Social Media subcommittee, and most currently on the Recorder Teacher Apprenticeship Panel. She has presented at various workshops locally and at state conferences, as well as at the national AOSA conference and for Orff chapter workshops. She serves on the Professional Development committee of her local AFT union and on their Executive Board.
